Miura Yumiko Decides to Confront her Confusion
by Copacetic Pessimism
Summary: Miura Yumiko loves her clique very dearly especially the individual Hayama Hayato. That is an indisputable fact. The thing is though, there is a certain something or someone that has been causing this love of hers to falter.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just an idea that I randomly came up with. Expect this story to be considerablely short(4-5 chapters). Also expect this to have lower priority than my other two stories. If feedback is positive though, I might increase the priority of this one. Anyways, enjoy the story!**

* * *

The air is cold and I feel a bit chilly myself. It can't be helped though given that it's the winter season already. Even with all these extra garments, it's still difficult to fight against the cold. I just want to hurry up and head to the club room already. What's taking that airhead so long anyway? I'm getting tired of waiting for her in this corner. Even though she keeps on pestering me about going to the club room together, she could at the very least hurry up a bit.

"Where are you Hikki?" A confused Yuigahama says as she comes out of the classroom door. After a couple of seconds, she finally spots me and walks toward to me with a slight pout on her face.

"Oh come on Hikki! How many times has it been already? Why can't you just wait for me like a normal person?" Yuigahama complains as she put her hands on her hip almost as if she's scolding me.

"I don't see any problem with it though. Just like you said, I waited for you." I nonchalantly say as I start walking towards the club room. Once Yuigahama noticed that I started walking, she quickly followed suit.

"Same old excuses huh Hikki?" She says to me as she starts walking next to me. I don't understand if it's a riajuu thing or something but Yuigahama is always insistent on walking right next to me. Whenever I increase or decrease my pace, she would always complain. Since dealing with a complaining airhead is annoying, I decided to just go with it. Every once a while though, I see her have a slight grin on her face whenever we walk together like this. I don't understand why she would finding the act of walking right next to me enjoyable.

"For your information, they're not excuses. That is simply the way I act." I respond to her as I continued my journey towards the club room. After a couple of moments of her pouting, Yuigahama finally accepted my response. Although a completely new expression has appeared on her face, an expression of worry. I am somewhat curious to why she is like that since it is rare for a cheery person like Yuigahama to worry about something.

"Is something wrong Yuigahama?" I ask her with a slight tone of concern in my voice. Yuigahama seemed to have been slightly surprised by my question but after a few moments, she answered me nonetheless.

"It's nothing really. It's just that Yumiko has been acting a been weird lately."

"Miura acting weird?"

"Yeah. Like she doesn't pay attention whenever we talk. It's almost like her heads in the clouds or something. I even left the classroom late because I was looking for Yumiko. I think she immediately left by herself once classes ended which is unlike her."

"Maybe she just has something on her mind. It's probably something minor, so you don't have worry too much. If it was important, she would have said something already to your clique given how important you guys are to her."

"I guess you're right Hikki. I just can't help but worry though."

"That's just you overthinking at this point."

Before Yuigahama could've responded though, we already arrived at our destination. The two of us then entered only to see Yukinoshita sitting in her usual seat. When she noticed our presence, she gave each of us a greeting. Yuigahama responded affectionately with her own greeting while I just said my usual 'Yo.'

After Yuigahama and I sat down on our respective seats, the usual routine of the Service club commenced. I was simply reading my light novel while Yuigahama and Yukinoshita were chatting on some random topic I couldn't care less about. Despite clearly showing my disinterest, Yuigahama still managed to drag me into the conversation while Yukinoshita was playfully insulting me like always. The same old routine I've come to known over the past few months.

Well the bell finally rang, club session finally ended which signaled us to return home. Usually, Yuigahama and I would go ahead while Yukinoshita would return the room key to the faculty office. Today though, Yuigahama wants to accompany Yukinoshita today in returning the key. Apparently, Yuigahama wants to continue her conversation with Yukinoshita. At first, Yukinoshita was reluctant to allow Yuigahama to follow her. After being subjected to her puppy dog eyes though, Yukinoshita finally gave in. This resulted in me going home first. After I told them my farewells, I made my way towards the school gate.

As I exited the school building, I was met with the sight of a beautiful sunset on a winter afternoon. Even the snow scattered all over the ground complemented the beauty of the sunset. It was truly something magnificent to see.

As I walked towards the exit of the school with my eyes fixed on the amazing scenery, I came across a certain blond haired girl wearing a dark green coat over her school uniform waiting by the school gates. The reason she caught my eye though was because I recently talked about her with Yuigahama. Yes, Miura Yumiko was waiting by the gates for someone. Hayama must be doing something and she's just waiting for him. I swear that she's hopelessly in love with that damn faker. Well it's none of my business though.

When I passed her, our eyes met for a few seconds. I simply ignored her though and proceeded to walk home. Suddenly, I heard an angry shout coming from behind me. When I looked back, it seems like the source was a certain fire-queen from my class.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going Hikio!?" Miura said to me in an annoyed tone as she approached me. This seems like the same old Miura to me. I wonder what Yuigahama was even talking about in the first place.

"Why did you stop me?" I ask in a slightly confused tone. It is unlike her to call me out like this after all given that she's on top of the social hierarchy while I'm on the bottom. She literally has zero reasons to call me out like this.

"I just found it rude that you ignored me like that Hikio. Isn't it normal to say goodbye to your friends?" She told me as if she was lecturing me on proper etiquette. I wonder if she even realizes that she's talking someone who doesn't give a damn about the norms of riajuus.

Wait a minute though, did she just call me a friend? I can't even properly label all the relationships I have with other people although I'm pretty sure that the relationship I share with Miura isn't that of friends.

"You consider me a friend? I thought you couldn't care less about me." Once I mentioned this to her, a blush suddenly appeared on her face. Odd, I was expecting a reaction of disgust but instead, I got a reaction of embarrassment. She's even resembles a flustered Yuigahama right now. What's going on with Miura today?

"F-Forget that... Anyways, I want you to follow me." She said in a demanding tone which almost instilled fear into me. It's amazing how she can just suddenly change like that. I want to decline and just head home already since it's been a long day. It's also annoying how she thinks that she can just order me around however she wants. Although it may look pathetic, I might as well follow her in order to avoid some trouble. Komachi also said that she would be home a bit late today, so no real harm if I do end up going.

Once I nodded as a sign that I agreed to go, I saw a small smile appear on Miura. Before I could comment on it though, it seemed like she noticed that I saw that smile of hers. As if she was hiding her embarrassment, she immediately started walking forward which prompted me to follow suit. Our destination must be the place she wants to bring me though.

After a few minutes of silently walking together with Miura, I found myself standing in front of a small rural-looking cafe. From the looks of it, this is not a regular cafe a popular teenager would go to given how barren the place is. Currently, the only person inside is an kimono-wearing old lady seemingly in her sixties attending to the store.

"Is there something wrong Hikio?" Miura suddenly asked me as if she knew that I was lost in thought.

"Oh, I just didn't expect you to visit cafes like this." I responded to her after I was able to regain my composure.

"This is an old cafe I would always go to as a kid. It's one of my favorite places to go to when I'm alone. Anyways let's go inside." She explained to me as she entered the cafe. I then entered the cafe myself to how simple the interior of the cafe was. All the chairs and tables were wooden and there were also no modern decorations whatsoever on the walls of the cafe. It's almost as if this cafe is a hundred years old. Once the old lady noticed our entrance, a smile appeared on her face.

"If it isn't Yumi-chan. What brings you here today? On a date with your boyfriend?" The old lady gently asked Miura which prompted Miura to blush a bit. It can't be helped though since that's the natural reaction when someone assumes that the person of the opposite sex you're currently with is your lover. I mean, it's such a natural reaction that I'm blushing as well.

"It's nothing like that Chiyo-san! He's just a classmate of mine. I just wanted to talk to him about something..." Miura said in a flustered tone as she responded the the old lady's comment. It's a rare sight though to see the fire queen of Soubu flustered like this with no Hayama Hayato in sight. It's almost cute actually...

"What are you waiting for Hikio? Take a seat." Miura told me as she regained her composure. I simply followed her order and sat on the nearest chair as I removed my jacket. Miura also removed her coat then went to the counter in order to get our drinks. While I was waiting for her to return, I couldn't help but feel extremely relaxed. It must be because of how serene the atmosphere of the cafe is. It's amazing how Miura has known a place like this for years. When Miura finally came back, she brought along with her 2 cups of warm tea. I was hesitant to drink it since it was tea and not my beloved MAXX Coffee but Miura's glare was enough to make me drink it. When I took a sip of it, it was unexpectedly sweet and refreshing.

"It's amazing." I unconsciously say as I finished taking a sip of this sweet tea.

"You like it huh? Well, it's a given since Chiyo-san is known for making amazing sweet tea. I'm glad you like it." Miura told me in a gentle voice as she also gave me a warm smile. It was so warm in fact that I almost forgot the coldness of this winter day. This prompted me to blush uncontrollably given how beautiful Miura looked right now.

"I-I see..." I shyly say in a quiet voice. Afterwards, an oddly relaxing silence fell upon the two of us. Over the course of a few minutes, I couldn't do anything else but drink my tea as Miura was also drinking her tea. As the silence continued, I noticed that Miura has had a confused look on her face. I didn't think much of it but she continued to look confused for the new few minutes. Curious about it, I wanted to ask her a question but before I could, she suddenly stood up from her seat.

"This is all your fault Hikio! I've been acting weird for the past few days! It doesn't even make any sense anymore! I don't even know why I'm so happy when I'm with you. Especially now!" Miura shouted from the top of her lungs. Luckily for the two of us, we were the only people here with the exception of the old lady. That's irrelevant right now though. What's more important is what Miura is saying right now. It's almost as if-

"I think I'm even falling in love with you Hikio."

Wait, what?


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sitting here right now in this rural-looking cafe utterly shocked by the blond haired fire queen of Soubu High. For what reason you may ask? It's because she just suddenly confessed to me. Pretty surprising is it not?

I could've never imagined myself in a situation like this especially with someone like Miura. Sure, I've had my suspicions that certain individuals around me might have romantic feelings for me, but I'm pretty sure that Miura is not in that list. It is Miura after all, the fierce queen of the social hierarchy who's head over heels for the pretty boy faker Hayama.

What intrigues me the most though is her reason for doing something like this. Judging by how much she values status quo and her clique, doing something like this would simply ruin the thing she worked so hard for.

Perhaps this is all just a joke. Maybe, she just lost some kind of dare. The odds of something like that happening isn't very low. After all, it has happened to me before. Yeah, that has to be the reason. There's no other logical reason for this kind of situation to even happen.

That's what I want to believe anyway. The only reason that's stopping for thinking so is her current expression right now. No matter how hard I try, I just can't sense any kind of malice coming from her. The emotions she's expressing right now also seems completely authentic. There's literally no way for her to fake something like this unless she's some sort of skilled actress. In fact, I don't think even actors can pull off the expression Miura is showing me right now. There's only one way to deal with this problem now.

"Why don't you sit down first and explain what you just said." I say in the most polite and gentle voice I can muster in order to calm the agitated Miura. Once she realized her current condition, she blushed a bit in embarrassment and immediately sat down. That was kinda cute actually... Wait! That's not important right now. What's important is that I get an explanation from Miura. After calming down for a few moments, Miura began to speak.

"It's because I can't get you out of my head." Miura shyly explained as she looked away from me, She was even twirling her hair as a sign of nervousness. Dammit Miura. You're not supposed to be this cute.

"You were all I could think about day and night. I was even late for school once 'cause I was busy dreaming of you. This has never happened to me, not even with Hayato..." Miura quietly continued as she was still avoiding eye contact. The things she's saying right now actually feels like they're straight from a crappy teenage romance novel.

"That's actually kind of creepy..." I accidentally say with a tone of slight disgust. It's unrealistic for a teenage girl to ever have thoughts like those. It's almost like she has an obsession for me... Once I said that though, the cute and seemingly innocent Miura suddenly transformed back to her fire queen self.

"Not like I asked for it to happen! It's all your fault Hikio!" She furiously said to me as she was piercing and burning my soul with her glare. Looks like I pushed the wrong buttons...

"S-Sorry about that...Could you please continue?" I say once again in my cowardly voice. Miura then pouted for a while before calming down from her rage then continued on with her explanation.

"Anyways, I don't know exactly when it began. If anything, I think it started when I made a request to you guys about Hayato's course choice. The way you tried so hard for someone like me even if it was out of obligation, made me change my opinion of you. I then started to look back on the various things you did. That time during the summer camp, the culture festival, and the school trip. Even though it wasn't obvious, you were just being too stupidly kind to the point that you were hurting yourself. I couldn't help worry about you since I don't want to see you hurt." Miura said in the most heartfelt and sincerest tone I've ever heard from her along with one of the gentlest expressions I have ever seen. If it weren't for these two factors, I would've thought that Miura was straight out lying.

It still doesn't answer my question though. It doesn't fully explain why she confessed to me. What she explains corresponds more with motherly concern than romantic interest. There is still no clear reason for her confession. It's also unreasonable why she would give so much attention to me.

"Why the confession though? You have no good reason to be concerned with me."

"I thought the same thing too. At first, I thought it was just because you stood out a lot. You were just the creepy club mate of Yui. As the days passed by though, I couldn't get my eyes off you. There was even a time I wasn't even paying attention to what Hayato was saying because I was worried about your lunch. You're always eating those cheap lunches from the school store, so I was wondering if you were eating properly. I couldn't even focus in class 'cause I noticed that you were secretly sleeping."

By the looks of it, it looks like Miura's head over heels for me evident by her constant blushing as she was explaining herself. I was also blushing myself given how embarrassing the situation is right now. Though the pieces still don't fit together for me.

"What about Hayama? I thought that he was the love of your life."

"That made it all the more worse you know. It felt like I was loving two people at the same time. The more I worried about you though, the less attracted I got to Hayato. It didn't make sense to me at all. Since I couldn't take it anymore, I decided to ask Yui and Ebina for advice. I also kept your name a secret just to be safe. When I described to them what I was feeling, they said that I fell in love. I didn't want to accept it but they kept on saying that it was true. It was also extremely conflicting especially since it was you I supposedly fell in love with."

"I feel insulted. Sure, I'm not perfect, but what's so wrong about me?"

"First, your physical appearance is just straight out horrible. Your dead fish eyes make you look creepy. Your hair is always so messy and the fact that you always slouch makes you look like a slob. You're also extremely gloomy and rude especially with the things you say. You're just unattractive as a person physically and personality-wise. It's no wonder why a girl would never fall for you." Miura explained with no hint of hesitation. The fact that she said all of that without flinching shows how cruel she truly is. I can even feel my eyes tingling a bit...

"Thanks a lot Miura. That's going to help my self esteem for sure." I sarcastically say as I rest my head onto the table in order to recover from the cruel insults that I recently received. Once Miura saw me do this though, an expression of worry suddenly appeared on her face. It also looked like she was struggling to find ways to cheer up evident by how frantic she was. It's actually cute...

"D-Don't g-get so down Hikio. There's a lot of good things about you too..." Miura said in an attempt to cheer me up. I appreciate the gesture, but I honestly doubt that you would have anything good to say about me.

"Prove it to me then." I say to her in a somewhat provocative tone. In a situation like this, all I'll get is a bunch of generic and shallow compliments.

"You're always so considerate of people. Even though it's not obvious, you show your care for people in different ways. From all the stories I heard from Yui, you gave it your all when it came to the requests you received even if you did it in a really weird way. It's just shows how kind you truly are. Also, your ahoge is actually pretty cute...Oh god this is embarrassing..." A flustered Miura said to me in a tone mixed with affection and embarrassment. I was completely caught by surprise by Miura's response to the point that I can feel my own face blush. The surprises today just don't stop huh.

It still brings up the question though. Why? It's impossible for a person to genuinely fall in love like this that easily. If it was this easy, then every damn person on this world would have a lover. The possibility that this is all fake is already out. Which means that this is just some sort of impulse coming from Miura, a spur of the moment thing. Her feelings for me now probably aren't as serious as she thinks it is. Maybe she hasn't realized this yet. If i just point it out to her...

"It's nothing like that Hikio." Miura suddenly said which prompt me to break my line of though. Oh crap, did I just think out loud...

"I'm being completely serious Hikio. If I wasn't, I wouldn't even bother with confessing. If you want actual proof, I've never even thought of confessing to Hayato, but when it came to you, I had no hesitation at all." Miura continued with a firm and confident tone in order to show that she's not kidding. It's admirable that she's so upfront about her thoughts.

"So I'll ask this once again Hikio, what's your answer?"

That single line of hers got me thinking. Should I really accept this confession of hers? Is it something that I even want? Am I even looking for romance? While pondering over these questions, the request I told Yuigahama and Yukinoshita appeared in my mind.

'I want something genuine.'

After careful deliberation, I came to a certain decision.

Yeah, I really shouldn't accept this. If I were to accept something like this, I would be going against my own personal desire. What I have with Miura is barely genuine. Hell, it's barely an actual relationship, and Miura's sudden catharsis can't change that. I don't know what came over her, but I just can't return her feelings. If I were to ever actually return it, it wouldn't be genuine at all, and I don't want that. Besides, she's better off forgetting these feelings and returning to her daily life. That's how she wants to live her life after all, in the presence of her beloved clique. I have no place in her heart.

"I'm sorry Miura. The two of us being together will never happen. It's practically impossible." I say to her in the most solemn way I could. This should be able to convince her that this was all just a mistake. Sooner or later, she'll revert back to her usual self, and we can forget that this ever happened.

This is the best way to end a situation like this. The only thing is though, it didn't end like that whatsoever, not even close.

Tears began to fall from Miura's eyes a few moments after I said that. I was completely caught of guard by it and judging my Miura's expression, it seems like she was caught off guard as well.

"Oh wow, I'm actually crying. I didn't expect that." Miura said a dry chuckle and a wry smile. All I could do was to respond with silence since anything I would now would be meaningless.

After a few moments of silence between the two of us, Miura stood up and got her coat. I wanted to say something but the words weren't coming out for some reason. Even though everything's already resolved, what is this lingering feeling inside of me. I don't like it one bit...

"Looks like I got my answer. Well then, it was nice talking with you Hikio." Miura said before exiting the cafe. She didn't even look back once and just walked out. Now I'm here left in my lonesome in this small cafe completely confused on what the hell just happened.

Well, tomorrow's gonna be a one hell of a day...


	3. Chapter 3

I come to school a bit apprehensive today. Even the clouds seem to agree with me given how dark the sky is right now despite it still being morning. With the presence of the winter cold, these ominous clouds make the atmosphere completely eerie. It almost makes me want to skip school and head home although I can't afford to do so today.

Given what happened yesterday, I have to see what happens next. Miura's sudden confession was already surprising enough, but that expression on her face when I rejected her was even more surprising. It was almost the face of hopelessness actually. Now I'm worried about what's going to happen when I arrive to school today. For sure, the dynamics of the clique will fall apart. Yuigahama will definitely run to me for help regarding this situation and drag me into it.

Then again, these are all just mere speculations. For all I know, maybe Miura got over her infatuation for me and returned to normal. I just hope nothing to troublesome is going to happen any time soon. Anyways, I'll have to see it for myself once I arrive to the classroom.

* * *

Unfortunately, my assumptions were true. When I entered the room, I immediately noticed that Miura was not together with her clique. She was just sitting by herself and resting her head on top of the table. I also noticed how her hair was no longer in drills but instead just an unorganized mess, a sign that something different about her today.

When I shifted my attention to the clique, they were still talking to each other as if it was a regular day. It was obvious though that they were simply pretending given their uneasy expressions and incoherent conversations. They don't know how to respond to this kind of situation, so they decided to simulate their regular status quo instead. Just goes to show how fragile their clique truly is. One small crack and it instantly falls apart.

I simply sighed at the situation and made my way to my seat in order to process the whole situation.

Given Miura's current condition, she's still greatly affected by yesterday's vents. She probably told her clique that she was under the weather or something as an excuse, so she could be left alone. She also probably rejected any concern she received from the clique which prompted them to act this restless.

I should probably leave her alone for now. People tend to get overemotional at times. There's no immediate need for action. Miura will most probably recover in the next few days.

"Hey Hikki..." A voice from behind me suddenly says. When I look back, I see a fidgety Yuigahama in front of me.

"Can I talk to you about something..."

Before I could respond, the bell suddenly ringed which signaled the start of classes. This prompted Yuigahama to return to her seat. Before she did so though, she told me that we'll talk during lunch instead. I simply nodded in return.

Class then started after a few minutes. I couldn't pay attention though since Miura's current condition was the only thing I could think of. I know that I shouldn't do anything rash, but I couldn't help but worry. I do feel somewhat responsible for her current condition after all.

Before I even realized, it was already lunch break. Yuigahama then approached me while being as restless as she was this morning. Miura's condition must've had a big impact on Yuigahama. It's uncommon to see this cheerful airhead acting as uneasy as this after all.

"Can you please follow me Hikki? There's something I want to talk about..." She said to me in a quiet and shy voice, something uncharacteristic for someone as bubbly as Yuigahama.

"Sure." I reply in a monotone voice. I already know that we're going to talk about Miura anyway. It's still concerning though just how drastic the effects of Miura's current state are.

The two of us then left the classroom together in order to talk in private. While we were walking though, Yuigahama was completely silent. For some odd reason, I was uncomfortable with the silence which is odd since it's something I usually crave.

After a couple of minutes, I found myself in my secret lunch spot. Now that I think about it, Yuigahama's one of the only persons to know about this place. Yuigahama then took a seat and gestured me to do the same. Once I sat down, Yuigahama began to speak.

"It's about Yumiko. She's even worse compared to last week. She won't even talk to us anymore."

"People have times when they just need to be alone. This applies to basically everyone, even you. Think about it, has there been a time when you just wanted to be alone for whatever reason?"

"A couple of times I guess..."

"See? There's no need to worry so much."

"I know that but still! It's just so disheartening. I'm her friend, but I can't even do anything for her..."

"Then just be ready."

"Hmm?"

"When she finally wants to talk, be ready. Some people would always say that they're worried about something or someone, but they never actually bother to do anything about it. That's why when the time comes, they don't know what to do. Don't be like that."

Once I said that, it became silent for a few moments. It was then broken my Yuigahama's slight chuckling.

"H-Hey, what's so funny?"

"It's so unlike you to say something so positive Hikki."

"W-Whatever..."

"Anyway, Thanks for the talk Hikki. I really appreciate it."

"Sure thing. Now you just have to treat for lunch."

"Ehh!?"

"I mean, you took time from my precious lunch break. You also asked for advice from a wise person such as myself. Of course I would demand compensation."

"Meanie Hikki! We never talked about something like that! Maybe I should've asked Yukinon instead..."

"Oi, are you just going to leave me starving here?"

"Oh fine then. Let's go the cafeteria Hikki."

Even though she acting annoyed right now, I can tell that she has cheered up a bit. Although I was a bit too optimistic for my own taste, at least I managed to ease Yuigahama's tension. I also got free food out of it. Now all I have to do is wait and see what's going to happen next.

* * *

An entire week has passed yet Miura's condition hasn't improved whatsoever. Actually, it's no exaggeration to say that her condition got worse. She wouldn't respond to anyone. Whether it was her clique members or Hiratsuka-sensei, she simply ignored them all. To be honest, I have never seen anyone so lifeless before. Even I didn't go that far deep back in middle school.

Now, it's club session yet the none of us can seem to relax due to the tense atmosphere.

Yukinoshita has mostly been indifferent about the situation, but I can tell that she too is concerned about Miura despite their antagonistic relationship.

Yuigahama is handling it even worse though since she's always in close contact with Miura. Even though she's been trying her best to be cheerful again, she can't help but worry about Miura. I don't blame her for it since I'm also concerned about Miura. I do feel somewhat responsible for putting her in this state after all.

The sound of knocking then suddenly fills the room. It can't be Hiratsuka-sensei since she never bothers to knock. If this was any other regular day, Isshiki would've been the one knocking. but she's currently doing some student council work. This means that it's a client. Although I have a feeling I know who it is behind that door.

"You may enter." Yukinoshita says in her professional voice. Once Yukinoshita said so, the door slid open and came out the blond haired bastard I share a mutual hate with.

"Hayato-kun?" Yuigahama said in confused voice. Hayama then simply replied with a greeting as he walked towards us.

"I have a request. It's about Yu-"

"If it's about her, don't bother anymore. This is a problem that you ought to solve yourself. You have no right to ask for help from people who aren't involved." I immediately say right before the moment he said her name. Hayama then suddenly glared at me which honestly made me flinch. I know that I interrupted you and that we hate each other, but was there really a need to act like that?

"I have to agree with Hikigaya-kun. Even though it's a pressing situation, we can't assist you. It's a personal problem and I feel like we aren't the ones suitable for solving this problem." Yukinoshita said in a somewhat harsh voice. Once Hayama heard our responses, he was distraught for a moment but quickly regained his composure after a few seconds.

"I was expecting that answer..." Hayama said in a somber tone.

"Then why did you still come to us?" Yuigahama, who was silent up to now, curiously asked Hayama.

"I needed to at least try. I just can't bare to see Yumiko acting like this. I was running out of ideas, so going here was one of my last options. Anyway, I'll let myself out. Thanks for listening at the very least." He said to the three of us as he exited the club room.

As Hayama was leaving, it came to me just how much he values his clique. Even though it's disgusting that all he wants in the end is a maintained status quo and stagnation, it's still respectable that he's concern for the people around him.

After he left, A heavy and tense atmosphere accompanied by silence then filled the room. None of us had anything worthwhile to say, so we stayed quiet and endured the uncomfortable atmosphere.

The bell then rang which signaled the end of club time. After awkwardly saying our goodbyes to each other, we took our separate ways. We couldn't manage to end the day on a happy note given what just transpired awhile ago.

* * *

As I was making my way towards the gate, I saw the silhouette of person waiting by the gates. Since it's already late, there shouldn't be that many people in school right now. Who could this person be?

After closer inspection, I noticed that the person was in fact Miura. What's she doing here? Waiting for Hayama perhaps or... is it me?

Anyway, since this situation is getting out of hand, I should take the initiative in trying to fix it. I am responsible for it after all.

"Miura." I call out to her as I make my way towards her. The moment she heard me, it seems like she got slightly startled by it.

"Hikio..." She said to me as I find myself in front of her. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't have recognized her as Miura. There are eye bags under her seemingly faded green eyes. Her hair is disheveled to the point that it's no exaggerated to say that a tornado went through it. For someone like Miura,who values outer appearances, to look like this is unbelievable. Despite all this though, she still looks attractive to me. Odd.

"Can I talk to you for a while?"

"I was actually waiting here for you to ask that. Is it okay if it's at the same cafe?"

"I don't mind."

We then made our way to the cafe Miura previously brought me to. The entire walk there, it was pure silence. Even though it somewhat resembles the atmosphere from the club room awhile ago, I don't feel tense at all. To be more precise, I actually feel comfortable like this. When I took a glance towards Miura, I could see that her mood brighten up a bit.

When we arrived to the cafe, Miura ordered the sweet tea while I found some seats. Just like last time, the cafe is empty but still gives out a relaxing and warm feeling despite the winter season.

Once Miura came back with the tea, she sat down right next to me as opposed to across me. I was startled at first, but calmed down right after awhile.

For the next few minutes, it was completely silent. Neither of us were talking yet we were both relaxed. I don't understand how or why this is happening, but I'm enjoying it right now. For a brief moment, I even saw a smile appear on Miura's face which was unexpected given her state this past week.

"Hey Hikio, is everyone worried about me?" She suddenly asked me which broke the silence. It was almost relieving to see that Miura is still capable of speaking normally.

"Yeah. Everyone's worried sick about you. Do you know how much trouble you caused?" I instinctively scold her as I gave her a light chop on the head. This prompted Miura to blush a bit. I was curious to why she was acting like that then it came to me. My older brother instincts came up and gave her the same treatment I would do to Komachi, Isshiki or sometimes Yuigahama. This prompted me to blush as well.

"It's nice to see this side of you Hikio. It feels nice to be taken care of like this." Miura said with a slight giggle which prompted me to feel even more embarrassed.

"A-Anyway, why back to the topic. Why are you acting like this. It better not be because of m-"

"Yes, it's all because of you." She immediately says with a solemn voice. This is just as I feared. I can't believe her infatuation for me has to escalated to this level.

"You're thinking out loud again Hikio. Also, it's not infatuation. I actually do love you." She casually says to me as she rests her head on my shoulder. Just what are you doing woman!? I'm pretty sure that the fire queen known as Miura Yumiko wouldn't do something like this. I know this is a troubling situation, but why do I feel so happy right now!?

"You know, I spent the whole week thinking about you. I was thinking for a reason why you would reject me. I never expected a single rejection to affect that much. It even came to the point that I disregarded the clique that I love so much. To be honest, after the rejection, I expected my so called 'love' for you to disappear, but it never did. Guess I really do love you Hikio."

This is getting bad, real bad. Her infatuation is far beyond what I expected. No matter what she says or thinks, this is all just infatuation. I have to resolve this situation somehow. Outright rejecting her won't do. Ignoring and avoiding her would probably have the opposite effect. Pretending to reciprocate her so called love is also out of the question. Just what can I do right now?

"Let me guess Hikio, you just can't accept that I love you right?" Miura suddenly said to me. Those words she said barely registered into my thoughts because that thought has never crossed my mind before. My brain can barely process it right now.

"After thinking for a whole week, I came to that conclusion. Knowing you, you probably can't accept something like love. With that in mind, I came up with the perfect idea. We should go on a date this weekend. That way, I can show you what love feels like and how much I love you. I won't take no for an answer, so better prepare yourself Hikio since I can get pretty greedy." She said to me with a completely genuine happy smile.

These circumstances, her words, her actions, her smile, my request, my principles, my knowledge. All these thoughts rampaging through my mind.

I can only make one conclusion right now: Just what the hell is happening.


	4. Chapter 4

It's already uncomfortable with this annoying winter cold, but this uneasiness I feel is just making things worse. After all, I'm currently walking to the station, so I could meet up with the fire queen Miura Yumiko for a so called date. Just remembering how I got into this situation gives me a headache.

Under normal circumstances, I would've rejected something like this, but this is different compared to what happened with Isshiki, Yuigahama and Yukinoshita. Unlike before, I'm now dealing with a girl head over heels for me. Even though it sounds pretentious of me, it's no exaggeration. As much as I wish for it to not be true, Miura Yumiko is indeed in love with me.

I don't know how it happened but for now, it's safe to say that she's not tricking me or anything of the sort. Still though, no matter what she says or believe, it's all just infatuation, not real love. Although I highly doubt something like that even exists.

Regardless, I have to stay strong and unmoving. No matter how appealing or tempting it may seem, I just can't give in. If I do, history will repeat its self, and I don't want that to happen under any circumstances.

Before I even realized, I reluctantly found myself at the station, the place Miura decided as our meeting place. Looking at the time, it's still 10 minutes before our meeting time.

I honestly just want to run away and head straight home, but I have to go on with this date, for the sake of both of us. Besides, if she catches me running away, I'm as good as dead.

"Ah Hikio." I heard a somewhat familiar voice coming from my right say. When I turned around, I saw Miura, but I almost didn't recognize her since she looked so different from what I expected. She was wearing a green unzipped thick winter coat with a beige shirt under it. Also uncharacteristic of her, she was wearing a skirt instead of jeans. Her hair was also fashioned differently in such as a way that it was a pony tail instead of its usual wavy style. What surprised me the most actually was the fact that she was wearing brown thin-framed glasses, something I would've never expected to be worn by Miura. I mean the elements of glasses and Miura Yumiko combined together just doesn't seem feasible. She was still attractive nonetheless though. In fact, I think I prefer this kind of apperance on Miura...

"What's wrong Hikio, why are you so quiet?" Miura suddenly said which snapped me out of my daze. I don't even know why I was in a daze in the first place. It's unlike me to be that affected by just a simple change in appearance.

"I-It's n-nothing. I just didn't expect you to dress up like that." I manage to say to her as I try to avert my eyes away from her. I just can't seem to grasp the whole concept of Miura appearing like this. For someone who values physical appearances, she was honestly wearing pretty dull clothes as if they were the first thing she found in her closet.

"I-I just felt like wearing something simple today. Y-You got a problem with that Hikio?" She said to me in an irritated tone. Although it wasn't that convincing since I could see a blush on her face. Thinking about it right now, she's actually acting like a classic tsundere right now.

"N-None at all." I quickly blurt out in order to not anger her even more. Actually, I almost complimented her appearance but luckily, I managed to stop myself. If I actually did it, I would be practically digging myself a hole since it's showing how I'm slowly being attracted to her. I don't want her infatuation to infect me with useless romantic thoughts.

"Good. Now let's go start this date!" She enthusiastically said with a small cheerful smile on her face. I actually don't see Miura smile all that often. And when she actually does, it's mostly a smug smirk, not something like this. She then caught me off guard by grabbing my hand and dragging me towards who knows where. Is this the habit of riajuus or something? If so, it's pretty annoying. Excessive physical contact is bad enough but being literally dragged around by people? That's horrible. It's like I'm being treated as something lower than a human. Her hand is pretty warm and soft though...

* * *

For the next couple of minutes, we were just walking around aimlessly among the sea of people. I know it's a day-off in winter but should there really be this many people? Don't you people have anything better to do than to be out here in this freezing cold?

It's also odd that Miura and I actually haven't arrived in a specific location. We've just been walking the whole time. I was expecting her to dictate our pace since she's the one who insisted on going on a 'date' in the first place. Also, we haven't uttered a single word to each other since we met up awhile ago. She's also been holding my hand the whole time with a firm grip as if she doesn't want me to run away. That possibility may be tempting, but even I have some degree of tact. All of this is making me wonder if Miura even planned to do anything at all today.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked her as I let go of her hand and stopped walking. I have a feeling that she's been absent-minded lately, so this should catch her attention. When she realized that I let go of her hand, for a brief moment, I saw an expression of childish sadness, as if something she was enjoying was suddenly taken away from her. If I were to compare it to anything, it would be to a child dropping their ice cream and feeling bad about it. It was actually pretty cute...

"Oh sorry, I guess I was just spacing out a bit. Anyways, it's almost noon, so we should eat lunch. Follow me." She quickly said as she composed herself. She then began to briskly walk forward which prompted me to follow suit. Still, as we were walking, it was completely silent. According to her, she was going to 'show her love for me' but with the way things are going, that doesn't seem all too likely. Maybe she's finally realizing that her affection for me isn't real. I just want to hope that's the case right now.

Miura then suddenly stopped which made me stop as well. Seems like we arrived at our destination. To my surprise though, it wasn't some generic overpriced cafe people of the youth tend to go to, but a franchise I'm way too familiar with. It was my beloved Saize.

"Come on, let's go in Hikio." Miura said as she entered the Italian-styled family restaurant. Due to my confusion regarding Miura's choice of deciding to eat here, I just ended up absent-mindedly following her inside.

Seriously though, is all of this just on a whim of hers or is it intentional? Did Miura find out I like Saize and decided to use this as a way of warming up to me? If so, how did she even think of a plan like this in the first place? Maybe she heard it from Yuigahama or something. Regardless, I have to stay alert and abide to my mission of getting rid of Miura's infatuation with me. I can't allow myself to be swept up by her pace.

The inside of Saize was somewhat crowded but the two of us managed to find some seats. After settling down a bit by removing our coats, we decided to take a look at the menu. Somewhere inside the menu, I saw a promotion aimed at couples that give them a 10 percent discount. Ah, the tactics of the marketing industry that makes use of the romance seeking nature of its customers in order to gain more profit. I already knew that it was inevitable, but seeing how it's blatantly advertised first hand sickens me.

If there are promotions aimed at couples, why aren't there any for loners? It's not like the amount of people in a relationship outnumber those who are single. Also, people who go to restaurants by themselves don't have to argue with anyone about where to eat, so they're more likely to be a regular at a certain franchise. If they are given benefits and incentives, they have more of a reason to come back. It also doesn't force people to fulfill these ridiculous conditions in order to get benefits. This is a concept that would benefit both parties, so it baffles me why it's not being used more often. In short, I want freebies on the rare occasions I go out.

"Ah excuse me, we'll have the lover's special please." Miura suddenly said to the waiter as I was still lost in my thoughts. The waiter then just nodded, gathered our menus and left the table. Wait, did I hear that right and why are you casually pointing your phone's camera at me?

"What's with the weird face Hikio?" She asked me as she seemingly took a picture of me. Randomly taking a picture of me is already odd and questionable, but there are more pressing matters that need to be addressed right now.

"Isn't it obvious? Why would you order something as stupid as that without asking me anything. I never agreed to any of that." I scolded her in a slightly irritated tone. She didn't even ask me about my opinion or anything of the sort. This is why Miura and I will never be on the same wave length. She's too used to casually making demands and expecting others to obey them. I rather not deal with people who think they have the authority to do anything they want on a whim.

Given how belligerent Miura normally is, I can expect myself to face off against the fire queen herself in a heated argument. To my surprise however, she just remained silent with her head faced down looking apologetic akin to a dog who just got scolded by their owner. I don't think I've ever seen Miura this meek before.

"It's a bad habit of mine I guess. Sorry Hikio." She solemnly apologized to me as she was slightly bowing her head. I was taken back a bit by Miura's response, but I somehow ended up slightly smiling at what I just saw. Looks like Miura is capable of getting off her high horse and giving a sincere apology.

"As long as you understand, it's fine I guess. No need to get so hung up on it." I tell her in an attempt to cheer her up a bit. This is actually reminiscent of the times I would scold Komachi when she did something wrong. Miura even has the same reactions as Komachi given how her face is lighting up already in relief.

"Why did you order that anyway? Also, why Saize? I thought you would prefer more stylish places than this. " I ask her out of curiosity once she managed to composed herself.

"Ah, I just wanted to make use of the promo. I really don't want to spend too much money just for lunch. And besides, I don't want to waste any fancy food on you since you'll probably won't appreciate it. Eating in a place like this was the only choice left since you'll probably enjoy the food here. Also, the thought of being seen as a couple makes me a bit happy..." Miura explained with a slight blush on her face at the end. So this is Miura's subtle caring and girlish nature in play huh.

"Excuse me, here are your orders." The waiter politely said as he approached our table with and presented to us our food. At first glance, it looks they didn't add any design that corresponds to their promo. Seems like it was just a discount after all. Thank goodness nothing embarrassing happened. After the waiter left us, the two of us just began to eat silently.

For the next few minutes, neither of us uttered a single word. I know for a fact that Miura is not fond of small talk given how she uses her phone even when she's surrounded by her clique. I honestly don't mind this silence though since I prefer this over mindless chatter. I have to say though, there are still many questions rumbling through my thoughts right now. For instance, why is Miura wearing glasses. I don't recall a single instance of her wearing it before. It surprisingly looks good on her though. It somehow mellows down the usual fierce aura she emits.

"Hikio, your stare is kinda creeping me out." Miura said with a slight tone of disgust. Seems like I was unconsciously looking at her face. I can't blame her for that reaction though since stares naturally make people feel uncomfortable. I've learned that from experience after all.

"Sorry about that. I was just a bit curious about your glasses." I attempted to explain in order to get rid of any misunderstandings. I don't want her to interpret it as me ogling at her. After all, I'm already sick of being labeled as a lecherous person by other people.

"My glasses? Oh, I normally only wear these at home, never actually outside. I just felt like wearing them today." She explained to me as she was fiddling around with her glasses.

"Well, it surprisingly looks good on you." I unconsciously blurt out as a compliment. This prompted Miura to slightly blush at my statement. Realizing my blunder, I ended up feeling my face redden a bit. Due to that, there is now an awkward atmosphere between the two of us. This continued on for a couple of moments until Miura started to speak again.

"W-Well, I'll keep t-that in mind for next time." She stuttered with embarrassment as she was avoiding my gaze. I simply nodded at her response since I had nothing left to say. Forcing this conversation to continue would only make this situation more awkward. For the rest of our meal, there was only an awkward silence between us.

* * *

After we finally managed to finish our food, we paid for it and left the restaurant. Looking at the time, it's only two hours past noon. I doubt Miura would want to end it this early, so I'm sure she's going to drag me to somewhere else.

"Okay, it's time for you decide where we go next Hikio." Miura ordered me with expectancy beaming out of her eyes. I'm not really the kind to lead the way in these kinds of situations but luckily for me, I already prepared for this situation thanks to my previous experience with Isshiki.

"Alright then, follow me." I told her as I started walking towards the place I had in mind. Miura just obediently followed while seemingly humming in happiness. This made me a bit curious, so I decided to ask her about it.

"You sure seem unnecessarily happy."

"Is there anything wrong with that? I'm interested in the kind of places you go to after all."

"That sure doesn't seem like you. I thought for sure that you would prefer to go shopping or something."

"Just stop questioning everything and get a move on already."

"Fine, fine."

After a couple of minutes, we finally made it to the entrance of local arcade center. I was expecting Miura to have a face of disappointment but instead, she had a small smile on her face. It seemed like she couldn't wait to enter given by how she's slightly shaking in excitement. Once she realized that she let it spill, she faked a cough as a sign of composing herself and returned to her poker face.

"Not a bad choice Hikio. I was actually prepared for something boring like a bookstore." She haughtily declared despite her initial reaction just a few moments ago. Honestly, I really didn't take Miura as someone who would look forward to arcades. Guess there's more to Miura that I don't know about.

Ah wait, get a grip Hachiman. This is just the gap moe phenomenon that's usually seen in manga and light novels. Only a naive fool would be attracted with a person due to slight changes in their usual personality. I'm better than that, so I shouldn't let it get to my head. I would never fall to cheap tricks like that. I should just act normal in this situation.

"Let's just go inside already. I'm freezing out here." I said to her as I started to enter the arcade. Miura then quickly followed once she realized that I was already making my way inside.

Once the two of us entered, we were met with the expected liveliness of an arcade along with the rampant sounds of the machines and the cheery voices of young people. There were a group of middle school students playing around in the shooting games while they were those riajuu couples hanging around the photo booths. Seriously though, why did they have to put photo booths in an arcade, the place of entertainment for young boys and teens alike who just want to play some shooting or fighting games. Those booths should just explode since they seriously ruin the entire atmosphere of a gaming arcade.

"What games do you usually play here Hikio?" She asked me as she was looking around the arcade as if it was some unexplored land.

"Quiz games mostly." I immediately replied to her. Once I said it though, Miura did her signature 'Huh?' in confusion along . Hey, what's so weird about that? At least I didn't mention strip majong.

"Really? Intellectual games really don't fit your image that much. Those geeky games suit you more." For some reason, I get irritated at how she's labeling me as if I'm Zaimokuza. I don't want to be compared to someone as low as him.

"Why don't you take a crack at it then. Although I doubt, you could ever possibly do as good as me." I provokingly challenge her in hopes that she would take the bait. Luckily for me, it worked given how she's emitting a fiery aura around her that just yells 'bring it on.'

After confirming that she's up to the challenge, I brought her to corner of the arcade where most of the quiz games are found. Unbeknownst to her though, I chose the quiz mode where I'm most familiar in. It's topics range from History to Geography to Modern Literature but thankfully it has no Science or Math in it whatsoever. Even on the rare chance that Miura actually knows her facts, she can't defeat me given how extensive my knowledge is.

After a couple of minutes answering the game, Miura lost to me completely. Her score barely reached one third of mine. Miura really was no match for someone like me who honed their skills exactly for situations. I'm pretty confident in my skills after all. Well, maybe not against Yukinoshita...

Miura now though is pouting over the fact that she lost to me especially since she was acting so superior awhile ago. I actually want to brag in her face that I beat her, but I'm a gentleman. I managed to resist the temptation to do so and just accepted humbly accepted my victory.

"Crane games now. First one to get a three prizes out of five tries is the winner." Miura declared as she was pointing over the crane machines. I wanted to decline since I see no actually purpose to do so, but her venomous glare says other wise. I simply followed agreed to her out of pure fear. Although I shouldn't worry too much. Due to my experience with Komachi, I'm pretty skilled when it comes to these kinds of things. With someone like Miura who probably doesn't frequent places like these as my opponent, I'll probably do just fine.

Just how bad can it go?

* * *

"Who's talking now huh?" Miura proudly gloated as was shoving three different animal plushies into my face. I couldn't say anything in return since I really did lose against her.

I was completely destroyed by her in our competition. She got the three plushies in only four tries, while I didn't get a single one in five tries. I guess I might be rusty since it's been years since I actually got something in a crane game. Miura though was unexpectedly deft in her actions awhile ago, She maneuvered the hook with such absolute precision and accuracy that it made me go speechless. She even took in the different external factors that come into play leaving me with no chance whatsoever. How in the world is she so good at this.?

"For your information Hikio, right after karaoke sessions I had with everyone else, we would always play crane games together. Just so happened that I got really good at it." She proudly explained as she still had a smug look on her face. I can accept the fact that I lost, but her attitude of winning just seems petty and annoying.

As I was thinking that, Miura suddenly threw something at me which I instinctively caught mid-air. Upon looking closer at the thing I caught, it was one of the plushies that Miura won awhile ago, a tiger plushy to be exact.

"Just keep that with you. I-I want you to have it as a sign of remembering today. Y-You b-better not get rid of it okay?" Miura shyly murmured with a bright red blush on her face. The mere fact that she gave me a gift was enough to even make me smile a bit. It's not everyday that I get something from myself after all. Also, this tiger plushy somewhat resembles Miura. Normally fierce but caring when the time comes.

"Thanks." I simply say to her as a way of expressing my gratitude. Miura just brushed it off as if she couldn't handle the embarrassment anymore and just started walking around of arcade with big loud footsteps. This prompted me to follow suit, but not before making sure I brought along the gift I just recently received.

As the of us finally made it to the outside, we were met with the sigh of everything being bathed in the orange light of the beautiful winter sunset. I decided to admire the scenery as I was following Miura around. Before I knew it, I found myself at the local park, a cliche location for ending 'dates' such as these. Luckily for me, it's not that crowded compared to the other places I've been to today. I can finally get the chance to relax.

"Go sit over there on a bench while I get us some drinks." Miura commanded me as she started walking to the vending machines. At first, anyone would mistaken it as her being harsh. In reality though, that's just how Miura shows her concern for others, almost like a mothers actually. I simply nodded and made my way towards the benches.

Now that I finally get some time for myself, I can now look back at what happened today. Honestly, today was surprisingly enjoyable. I was expecting it to be dull and boring with me having to put up with an unreasonable Miura. In regards to my mission though, I really don't know how it'll end up. Judging by what happened today, I finally accept the fact that Miura has feelings for me. Even though logically it doesn't make any sense with all the evidence provided, I just can't help but think that. In all the various times I've seen Miura along with what I hear from Yuigahama, I've never seen her this happy before.

That still leaves me in a questionable position though. How do I respond to those feelings of her? Denying or ignoring them isn't going to do any good since it'll just unnecessarily hurt everyone. Accpeting her feelings wasn't at all an option but after today, I really don't know. I have never seen anyone so upfront with their feelings after all. It's like she can't be bothered to fake or hide anything unlike most other human beings. It's almost funny actually how someone as open as Miura is attracted to the king of fakers Hayato.

I don't think she deserves the pain of having fake relationships hanging by a thread. Maybe if I can give it to her and she does the same for me...

"I'm back Hikio." Miura announced which effectively broke my line of though as she made her way towards me with two drinks in hand.

"Here's your drink." She said as she handed over to me a canned drink. That reminds me, I never actually did tell her what kind of drink I wanted. Might as well drink this regardless of what it is since it was given to me.

Wait a minute, this heavenly taste. It can't possibly be...

"Looks like your enjoying your MAXX Coffee huh." Miura said with a smile on her face as if she's enjoying my reaction right now. How did she manage to figure that I adore MAXX Coffee?

"Your face is giving it away Hikio. It's not all that hard to figure out that it's your favorite when that's all you drink. I have to say though, I don't know you manage to keep up with the sweetness of this thing." She explained to me as she took a sip of her own can which I can assume is MAXX Coffee as well.

With this along with every other single thing she's done today, all signs are basically telling me to accept her feelings. The impulsive part of me actually wants to, but I know all too well that following that side of me isn't for best based on previous experiences. This situation however is making me waver. I'm at a standstill right now.

"You know Hikio, today was the most fun I've had in really long time. Even more so compared to the time we went to Destiny Land. That's why I want it to end with something special." Before I could reply that statement, Miura quickly approached me and closed the distance between us. Our faces were only centimeters apart from each other. I ended up staring at her alluring green eyes that I almost got lost in them.

It was in that moment when she completely closed the distance by pressing her lips against mine. I actually wanted to savor the feeling, but I just couldn't.

For there was a teary eyed Yuigahama just a couple of feet behind Miura, watching us in the distance.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for being gone for almost a month. A lot of stuff actually didn't happen. I had the idea for this chapter fleshed out months ago. I just never had the drive to actually convert it into a chapter. Well, sorry for the wait. Here's it is.**

 **PS(added a few hours after original upload): I'm already well aware people, no need to tell me anymore. This story is shit I know. This story is basically a manifestation of me whoring out since there was a sudden boom of Yumiko stories. I thought it would be interesting to join in. Seeing everyone's reaction though, man was I wrong. I honestly feel like Hachi right now with the cynicism I'm feeling. OOC?, unrealistic and non-canon pairing? Do any of them really matter. Do they actually matter to the readers or to the writers who spend so much time writing these stories only for them to be judged by countless** **anonymous people** **? Even though I spent two whole days making it, shit is still shit in the end I guess. I'll think of a way to quickly wrap this up in order to end your suffering. Here I thought that I would make an epilogue with the two of the of them being happy in university life. Oh well, no one would probably enjoy reading that anyway.**

 **Man I sure am childish for reacting like this. Maybe I can learn from this experience in the future for when I attempt to write original stories.**

 **Anyways, I have an Iroha one-shot in mind and a Yui drama story based around her selfishness. If you somehow made it through all the ranting and still have enough interest in this story to actually read it, here you go.**

* * *

After a few seconds, Miura finally separated herself from me with a bright crimson color on her face. Though I'm pretty sure I'm also blushing as much as she is. It's inevitable though since this a normal human reaction after experiencing something such as this. See it's not my fault, but the way humanity was created! I'm innocent, I swear!

"W-Why a-are you so quiet Hikio? That's not the way you respond to these k-kind of t-things..." Miura adorably stuttered while having a slight pout on her face. I actually wanted to keep on staring at this expression of hers but my eyes were focused on something else, mainly an individual with peach-colored hair. Miura was confused due to where I was looking and decided to turn around.

After concluding that Yuigahama was no longer anywhere within my field of vision, I decided to take a peek at Miura since she's been unresponsive for the past couple of seconds. To my surprise, a look of complete dread was found on her face, as if she just saw a multitude of ghosts.

"Is something wrong Miura?" When I said that, she finally snapped back into reality. I wonder what could've caused her to act like this. Don't tell me that she saw...

"A-Ah, it's nothing Hikio. Don't worry about it. Actually, I just remembered that I have a couple of errands to run, so I'll be going now. Thanks for today Hikio." She clumsily said in a hurry as she stood up, gave me a simple wave and walked away from me. Before she left my line of sight though, I saw her frantically take out her phone as she was trying to call someone.

I have a vague idea who she's trying to call but right now, I'm just too fatigued to care anymore. I even have a slight headache now due to this turn of events. I quickly finished my beloved drink and made my way home through the numbing cold.

When I finally arrived home, I looked around to see that it was already approaching evening. How long was I out anyway? And I still have to attend school tomorrow which is practically a home for ticking time bombs? Just please let me rest already...

Once I entered through the front door, I was greeted by an over-energetic Komachi with eyes practically sparkling with curiosity. Not now please my beloved imouto, onii-chan is very tired and doesn't have enough energy to humor you.

"And where did you go today on your day-off onii-chan? Is it possible that you went on a date with someone? Was it Yui-senpai or maybe it was Yukino-senpai? What if it was an entirely different girl? I'm so proud of you onii-chan! Kyaaa! That probably earned me a lot of Komachi points!"

Oh I just want to say how cute you are right now, but I'm not just feeling it. I went through a lot today and I have even more things to face tomorrow.

"Yeah, sure whatever. I'm tired, so I'm just going to sleep. You can keep my dinner already I'm not hungry." I told her as I made my way towards my room. As I was going up, I could faintly hear her complain about my attitude, but I didn't pay much attention to the details. Before I entered my room however, I heard her quietly whisper to herself 'I knew it, there is something wrong with him after all...'

When I finally made it back to my safe haven, I immediately took off all the unnecessary clothing I was wearing and jumped straight to bed. I don't even have the energy to shower right now. Sleep is my only solace right now after all, and I want to indulge myself in it for as long as possible.

* * *

As much as I didn't want it to happen, the next day arrived meaning my mandatory attendance to school. I honestly just want to feign sickness and skip school today although I know all too well that that's just running away. Besides, I'm not in the mood for being physically assaulted by a teacher who's desperately trying to hook up with someone. I swear I'll never stop feeling pity for that woman.

After a bit of stretching, I took a shower, changed my clothes and got ready for school. By the time I made it downstairs, Komachi was already gone even though it's still kind of early and my breakfast was already prepared for me on the dining table. Next to my meal was a note presumably left by Komachi which I immediately opened and read.

'Komachi went to school early 'cause she has a lot of stuff to for the student council. Knowing how hopeless you are without me onii-chan, I went out of my way and prepared a magnificent breakfast for you! I know you've been feeling more down and pathetic than usual, so this is my way of cheering you up. You're so lucky to have such a caring imouto! I'm sure that earned me a lot of Komachi points! Anyways, wash up when you're done since I don't to always clean up after your mess. Love Komachi'

I still wonder how this imouto of mine manages to act bratty and cute at the same. At the very least, I managed to cheer up a bit thanks to this unconventional way of hers. Maybe this will be enough to help me get through the day. Though seriously, I doubt simple plain pancakes can be considered as a magnificent breakfast.

After finishing up my meal, I washed the plates and utensils as I was seemingly instructed to by Komachi. I then made my way to school on my bike after making sure everything was locked up. I don't usually have much on my mind during this time since it's way too early in the morning for any thought process to actually occur. Today was an exception though. I felt apprehension to what I'm going to witness once I pass through the classroom doors. What will Miura be like? What will Yuigahama be like? What will the two of them say to me? Will they even bother to talk to me at all? Thoughts like these swarmed through my mind until I finally arrived to the school gates.

I placed my bike on the bike racks then reluctantly made my way towards the classroom. As I was walking, I could hear the sound of a timer ticking as if I was going into a time bomb. Seriously, I think I've been watching too many movies to make this kind of figure of speech. Before I even realized, I found myself standing in front the sliding doors of my classroom. I mentally prepare myself as I slowly begin to enter. Well, here goes nothing.

Once I entered the classroom, I readied myself for the worst and made my way to my seat. After seating myself, I carefully observed my surroundings to see if there was anything out of the ordinary, mainly Miura and Yuigahama's behavior.

Fortunately, Miura was back to her normal self before this whole fiasco even started. She was on her cellphone while regularly joining the conversation. She showed no signs of feeling down or anything of the sort. She even had the same old fierceness as before as she scolded Tobe for making an inappropriate joke. Seriously though Tobe, who makes a dirty joke like that in the presence of the Fire Queen? Look, even Ebina-san is disgusted by you and she's the pervert of your little clique.

Regardless, for some odd reason, I felt relieved seeing her act like this. Then suddenly, Miura glanced towards my direction which lead to our gazes meeting. She immediately blushed with the prospect of me staring at her and turned back to her clique. Ah, I guess she's still under the effects of her affection for me. Though I can't exactly deny that it's an unpleasant feeling.

I then decided to observe the other person of concern, a certain peach-haired airhead. I then found her talking to Ebina-san and those two other nameless guys I could care about. It appears that they're complaining about how difficult the last test was, standard talk for students. It is in a student's nature to complain about the work and tests given to them by their teachers. School life wouldn't be the same without that whether you're a loner or a riajuu.

There was one disparity I detected among their clique however. It was that Yuigahama and Miura were subtly avoiding each other. They never talked to each other when it was unnecessary. Hell, they even refrained from having eye contact with each other. Luckily enough, that didn't seem to upset the dynamic of their group.

I can only think of one reason that would make the two of them act like that. There's no doubting it now, Yuigahama saw us at the park yesterday. If she didn't, she wouldn't be acting like this. I was banking on the chance that I just mistook another person as Yuigahama. Seeing this now completely throws that thought out the window. This is the worst possible situation.

Then suddenly, I find Yuigahama standing right in front of me which inevitable startled me. How did you end up here? I was just looking at your clique a couple of moments go. When did you learn how to instantly teleport?

"Hey Hikki." Yuigahama said to me in her usual cheerful self. Although behind that, I could faintly detect that there was something wrong in the tone of her voice. It was as if she lost all of her energy and is now just pretending to be her normal self. I wouldn't be too surprised if that was the case since that's something I would expect her to do. What caught me off caught me off guard however was how her eyes lost their bright colors. They flat out seemed lifeless, something I would've never expected to see from Yuigahama. Honestly, they look creepier than my eyes, and I'm not saying that lightly. How has no one noticed this yet!? This immediately rang warning bells inside my mind due to how severe the situation has become.

"Yes?" I instinctively respond to her as I was busy evaluating the current situation.

"I'm not attending club today. Something came up at home, so I'll be busy after school. I already told Yukinon, so there's nothing to worry about. I just wanted to let you know." As she finished talking, the bell rang which signaled the beginning of classes. Yuigahama just gave me a quick apology as she returned to her seat, effectively leaving me in a state of utter confusion.

* * *

Frankly, I couldn't care less to what happened in class due to what I just witnessed this morning. As the hours passed by, classes finally ended which means the start of club activities. Yuigahama immediately left the classroom the moment we were dismissed. A part of me wanted to go chase after her since I'm sure that she lied to me about being busy this morning. Seeing as there was nothing I could do, I decided to just show up to club. Maybe there I can relax and try to take a break from this problem.

When I entered the club room, I was met with the sight of raven-haired Ice queen reading her book like always along with a sly fox skimming through a fashion magazine. Once they noticed that I entered the room, they gave me their respective greeting.

"Good afternoon Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita said as usual as she put down her book and prepared tea for me. This has become somewhat of a routine for her to serve tea during club time. Honestly though, when I first met her, I would've never expected her to do something as warm as this given her usual icy attitude.

"Finally, you're here senpai!" Isshiki excitedly said as she stopped reading her magazine and approached me. To any other naive adolescent male, this may look like a scene of affection, but I know better. Isshiki just sees me as a form of entertainment thus explaining her reaction to seeing me finally enter the room. I bet she was getting bored just sitting here and reading silently.

I simply gave them my trademark 'Yo' as a greeting and made my way towards my seat as I was shooing Isshiki away. This lead her to pout a bit and move her chair closer to mine, something she's been doing lately.

"About Yuigahama-san, she's not attending club today." Yukinoshita stated as she handed me a cup of tea and returned to her seat.

"Yeah, she just told me awhile ago." I tell her as I take a sip from my cup. I have to say though that this tea is actually pretty damn delicious even though I'm more of a coffee person. Maybe it's because I've been drinking it so often?

"Oh by the way senpai, did you hear the rumor?" Isshiki asked me as I was busy relishing the taste of my tea. And did you really just ask me about rumors? I couldn't care less to what other people are doing, so I have no interest in them. Besides, their characteristics as rumors are to be as exaggerated and false as possible, something I find quite distasteful.

"I don't really care about rumors. I find them-" As I was about to finish my sentence, Isshiki cut me off and continued to talk about this rumor. Hey, don't you know it's rude to cut off people like that? It's seriously rude!

"As I was saying, it's been going around lately that Miura-senpai went out on a date with someone who isn't Hayama-senpai, and was even enjoying herself!" Isshiki energetically proclaimed hoping it would catch any of our interest. Unfortunately for her, Yukinoshita was not amused by it one bit. Me on other hand, I was sweating bullets. I can't believe people actually recognized her as Miura. She had a different hairstyle and wore clothes completely uncharacteristic of her. Oh damn, the amount of information that can be relayed through high school students is scary. I just hope no one realizes that I was the one with her.

"Isshiki-san, it's unpleasant to hear gossip like that. Most of the time, they're all just baseless rumors anyways." Yukinoshita said as she reprimanded her. Isshiki however playfully shrugged off her scolding with a cheeky smile.

"Don't be like that Yukinoshita-senpai. It's in a girl's nature to be interested in this kind of juicy stuff. I doubt the two of you aren't at least a little bit curious to what I'm saying." Isshiki then looks towards Yukinoshita expecting an answer.

"I don't see the point of delving further into this topic. It's none of my business after all." After hearing Yukinoshita's answer, Isshiki then turned to me hoping I would say something that would satisfy her.

"Just as Yukinoshita said, I have no real reason for caring about trivial matter like this. I have to say though, I doubt the person involved would take this rumor lightly."

"That's because I'm not yet done talking! Obviously, a rumor like this has already reached Miura-senpai's ears. Surprisingly enough though, Miura-senpai actually admitted to going out on a date with someone. Although according to her, it was just her cousin that she hasn't seen in a long time explaining why she was so happy. I don't buy it one bit though. According to eye witnesses who actually saw the two of them, they looked way too much like a couple to be cousins. It's even said that they actually kissed in a park."

Yukinoshita just rolled her eyes in disinterest once Isshiki finished speaking which prompted the flaxen haired girl to whine and pout. I on the other hand made a sigh of relief. It's good to know that Miura made a cover-up story in order to prevent any more complications. Although a part of me is somewhat ticked off after hearing that story. Odd.

Before I even noticed, I find myself being stared at by the two other occupants of this room. I must've been so lost in thought that I didn't notice them. In all seriousness though, stop staring at me like that. It's like you're piercing through my soul.

"Is it just me or have you been acting differently lately senpai? It's like you're gloomier and more pitiful than usual."

"I agree with Isshiki-san. It's not everyday that you're this depressed and unbearable to watch. Are you sure you're okay?"

Ouch, the two of you are brutal. You don't really know how to hold back your punches huh.

"Your hurtful comments aside, I'm perfectly normal. There's no need to worry" I tell them with hopes that they'll stop prying. Unfortunately, they didn't seem satisfied with my answer.

"Don't be so difficult senpai! Just tell us what's wrong. Or is it really that hard to stay?" I just remained silent. I had nothing to say after all. I don't want them to bear the same burden I'm carrying right now. They don't deserve to be involved in this. Though this whole situation is pretty ironic. I'm looking for that genuine thing. I even shared that request with them yet I can't utter a few simple words.

Once Isshiki realized that I wasn't responding, she stopped pressing on the issue. Yukinoshita didn't say anything as well filling the whole room with silence. This continued on for a couple of seconds before Yukinoshita finally spoke up.

"This must be a serious issue then considering you're hesitating to tell us anything even after giving us your request. As much as we want to help you, we'll just wait for you to ask for our help. That's what you did last time right?" I was left speechless by what Yukinoshita said. This really is similar to what happened during the Christmas event. After all the things we've been through, I guess they deserve to at least know, just not now at least.

The bell then rang which signaled the end of club time. Isshiki was surprised with how much time she spent here and hurried out of the exit saying that there's this drama that she has to watch later tonight. Right before she left though, she whispered into my ear in an incredibly sweet voice that could give any young naive male diabetes.

"It's no fun seeing you all mopey like this. I really hope you cheer up. I like your normal self after all." This made my face redden while she just gave me a cheeky smile with her own cheeks slightly colored.

Now it's just Yukinoshita and I in the room. Seeing as there's nothing left for me to do in this room, I stood up and readied myself to leave. As I was walking out the door, Yukinoshita spoke up.

"I'll allow you to skip tomorrow's club meeting. I'm sure you have other things to do after school tomorrow. Am I right?" She told me as she had a slight grin on your face. Heh, you're almost as sly as that fox you Ice Queen.

I simply nodded and greeted her goodbye as I left the room. Now with my resolve slightly stronger, I'm ready to face this problem head on.

* * *

There's only one problem that faces me now.

Just how am I going to fix all of this!?

It's already lunch and I still have no idea what I'm going to do. I need to think of a plan before school ends.

With that, I decided to go to my favorite spot with MAXX Coffee in hand in hopes that some ingenious idea will come to mind.

Sadly after sitting around here for five minutes, nothing whatsoever came to mind. Since when did it become so difficult to think of a couple of sentences to say? Modern Japanese is my specialty damn it.

"Is that you Hachiman?" I heard an angelic voice suddenly say from behind me. I quickly turn around to see a sweaty Totsuka panting for air in his jersey while carrying a paper bag. It seems like he just came back from playing tennis. Damn, even if I know fully well that you're biologically male, I can't deny that you look seductive right now.

"Y-Yeah..." I respond to him as I avert my eyes somewhere else. I don't think it would be healthy if I were to keep staring at him.

"If it's not a bother, is it okay if I have lunch with you?" Don't say it so politely with those innocent eyes. My heart can only take so much. Before I even noticed, I unconsciously responded with a nod which lead him to give an adorable smile.

He then walked closer and sat himself right next to me. I just continued to bite on my cheap store bought bread while he brought a bento from his paper bag. He noticed my curiosity and began to explain himself.

"Oh, I practiced cooking last night with my mother. Since I made too much, I was hoping that I could share some of it with someone. So Hachiman, is it okay..." He shyly explained to me with a slight blush on his face. That's way too cute.

"I would gladly eat it." I immediately said before he could even finish his sentence. He then gave me a happy smile as he handed over to me one of the bentos. Once I opened it, I was met with a simple tonkatsu bento.

"I-I'm sorry if it isn't to your tastes or anything..." He apologized as he was slightly lowering his head.

"Don't fuss about too much. This will probably be tastier than Yuigahama could ever dream to make." I reassured him as I got the chopsticks and took a bite from it.

...

This is delicious! It's practically a feast sent from heaven! If only I could get Totsuka to cook for me every day.

"I'm glad to see you cheered up. I've been worried about you lately. For the past week or two, I've noticed that you seem a bit sad." He said as I was busy savoring this home-cooked meal. I have to say though, was it that obvious that almost everybody noticed? I don't remember being so easy to read. I'm supposed to be an expert in hiding my emotions.

Though it might be a good idea to get advice from Totsuka. It might be beneficial for me to ask someone outside of the Service Club and the clique. Once I decided it would be a good idea to do so, I quickly explained the situation to Totsuka while withholding important names and leaving out a few details.

"I see, so basically, you need to explain to someone the situation yet you can't think of the right words to say?" He concluded after listening to my story. In response, I nodded as a sign of confirmation.

"Isn't the answer simple then? Even if you can't get the right words, as long as you speak from the heart with sincere feelings, everything should turn out okay." He told me as he was sipping from a bottle of oolong tea.

"It's not that easy though. There's always a chance something might go wrong." Totsuka might be too innocent and naive to understand how fragile relationships truly are. It's not full or rainbows and sunshine. It's not as easy as saying a simple apology then everything turns back to normal. Human relationships are nowhere like that.

"But if you really hold that person dear, a single talk shouldn't ruin your relationship." Oh how I wish that was truly the case. Sadly, humans are inept creatures when it comes to relations with others despite being social animals. All throughout history, they've failed to properly to properly communicate with one another which lead to conflict after conflict from a personal level to a national level. Human relationships lie on a thin thread which can easily be broken by a couple of misinterpreted words and actions.

"Don't get so down Hachiman. I doubt that's going to happen with you. Seeing as how kind you are even if don't normally show it, I'm pretty sure it'll go well. I mean, if you didn't care about your relationship with the other person, you wouldn't even be in this problem. Just say the words you want to say and be honest about it. I know you can do it Hachiman!"

"That doesn't factor in the other person though. No matter how kind or good I am, if the person in question doesn't feel the same way, it'll all fall apart."

"On the rare change it does, you can always fix it. If it's you Hachiman, I'm sure it can be done."

I guess words are powerful after all. If they have the power to wreck everything, I guess they can repair it as well. Just hearing this motivational talk from Totsuka lessened the worry and anxiety I was feeling. What was I so scared of doing anyway? In fact, why was I so scared in the first place? Was it because I was scared of losing Yuigahama? Was it because I didn't want to be rejected like last time?

Well either way, I have to change my approach to things. If I don't do so, I'll never find the genuine thing.

I've decided, I'll confront Yuigahama today and explain the situation to everyone else tomorrow.

"Thanks Totsuka, that talk really helped me. Also, the bento was delicious."

"I'm just glad to be of use to you Hachiman. Hehehe, I can't help but feel happy that you finally relied on me for once though."

Again, Totsuka is an angel.

* * *

Classes have finally ended. It means it's time to talk to Yuigahama. Problem is though, she disappeared once classes ended. I looked around the whole campus first for the small chance that she stayed in school. I even checked the library, somewhere she would never go, just to be safe. After 15 minutes of running around, it was no good. I couldn't find a single trace of her. The only possible place to check is her own home. Luckily, I remember the way to her apartment complex. To my surprise though, I found a certain blonde haired woman waiting for me by the gates, a sight I have seen for a couple of times now.

"Hikio."

"Miura."

The two of us just continued to stay where we were standing without uttering a single word. This went on for a couple of seconds before Miura started walking closer to me and started speaking.

"I'm pretty sure you've already noticed but there's been some tension between Yui and I."

"I have. It's amazing how the two of you kept it so subtle."

"That's just something girls can do. Besides, I can't blame her. I basically stole my best friend's love interest. You know at least that much right? That Yui likes you?"

"..."

"That's so like you. Well either way, I should be glad that it didn't get any worse."

"There's still a problem that needs to be fixed though. It just can't be left alone."

"I know, that's why I'm so worried about Yui. It doesn't sit well me with that she's like this all because of something that I did."

"You really do tend to care for other people despite your usual attitude."

"Haah? What are you talking about Hikio? Of course I would care for Yui. She's someone important to me."

"That's good to know. I'm sure the two of you can patch things up eventually. First, I need to tell her everything."

"That's why I'm ordering you to fix this whole mess with Yui. Don't lie to her or anything. Just explain to her the situation as best as you can. You got that?"

"Yes, yes."

I then started walking past her as I was making my way towards the exit. Before I left though, she suddenly grabbed onto my sleeve, prompting me to stay.

"When all of this is over, you promise to give me your answer?"

"I will."

Before I left though, Miura pulled me down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She then quickly walked away from me signaling me that it's okay to go now. I simply smile as I got on my bike and made my way towards the apartment complex.

* * *

I now find myself standing in front of Yuigahama's apartment door. I've already resolved myself for this, yet I just can't stop shaking. Regardless, this is something I have to do no matter what. I then slowly moved my finger and pressed the doorbell. After a couple of seconds, a heard a footsteps approaching the door. Well, here goes nothing.

"Yes, who is i-, Hikki!?" A completely flustered Yuigahama said as she opened the door. I made a quick glance to her eyes to see if they were as lifeless as yesterday. Unfortunately, they were still hollow.

"Yo."

"What are you doing here Hikki!?"

"There's something I need to talk about. Is that okay?"

"O-Of course. C-Come inside..." She shyly said as she welcomed me inside. Instead of preparing drinks or anything, she immediately brought me to her room.

The two of us were now sitting across each other in this small room of hers. Given how awkward the atmosphere was, neither one of us said a word. This left the whole room in silence.

Yuigahama then broke it after a minute or two by speaking up.

"This is about what I saw during our day-off right? The park?" She asked me as she was still looking down and avoiding eye contact with me.

"Yes." I respond. I have to make sure she know's what exactly we're going to talk about.

"Let me explain. It was-" Before I could continue talking however, Yuigahama suddenly cut me off.

"I don't want to hear it." She said with a cold tone. This startled me since I've never heard Yuigahama use a tone like this before. She then stood up from her spot and slowly approached me, effectively leaving me in a state of confusion.

Before I could say anything to her however, I suddenly found myself being pushed to the ground by a teary-eyed Yuigahama.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for being dead for 4 months.**

* * *

Let me assess the current situation.

First, I am currently being pushed down onto the floor of a classmate's room. Second is that the one responsible for this is currently crying uncontrollably as she is holding me down through my wrists. And finally this all happened after not even a minute of conversation with no warning signs whatsoever.

Now only if someone were to talk into this room and misunderstand everything, I would experience a scenario straight out of a mediocre visual novel. Boy would I be delighted to see that happen.

In all seriousness though, it's concerning that Yuigahama would pull off something like this. I know that she hasn't been herself lately, but I didn't expect her to take extreme and rash decisions this quickly. I need to hurry up and fix this whole damn problem already. Other than the fact that it is my responsibility to do so, just the sight of seeing Yuigahama suffer so much because of my indecisiveness hurts.

Before I could utter a single word however, Yuigahama cut me to the chase and started speaking despite her teary expression.

"You know at first, I was really glad to see you and Yumiko, two people I really cherish, getting along together. I just happened to be passing by, but I saw you two strolling together during that day off. Seeing the two of you smiling together in each other's company made me feel really happy. Then before I realized, that happiness quickly became discomfort. The feeling just got worse and worse the more I thought about it."

Even before the kiss happened, Yuigahama was already experiencing discomfort. I honestly wonder why though. Yuigahama isn't the type to be malicious towards anyone who gets close to me. I mean I went on a so called date with Isshiki once, and she didn't react like this. It's also not an accurate measure of 'closeness' as Isshiki constantly teases me and Yukinoshita occasionally engages in banter with me.

"I guess you're wondering why I'm feeling like this towards Yumiko and not anyone else like Yukinon and Iroha-chan. I can see it in your face Hikki."

I remained speechless as she correctly deduced my thoughts from just my facial expressions alone. How the hell did she figure that out? I don't remember Yuigahama being this sharp.

"It's because of you Hikki. Unlike with everyone else, I could see that Yumiko was slowly crawling into your heart. All this time that I've been with you, I've never seen you act like that. You looked like you were actually falling for her..."

Did it really look like that from an outsider's perspective? I tried to recall those moments I shared with Miura to see if that was actually true. Before I could do so however, I could feel teardrops falling onto me. That was when I noticed Yuigahama was crying once more.

"When I saw you two kiss though, it felt like everything fell apart for me; everything I worked for gone in an instant."

Just by seeing the desperation and sadness mixed in her tearful expression as she uttered those words is enough to make me feel an unfamiliar pain in my heart as if someone is stabbing me in the heart. So this is guilt huh, can't say I'm a big fan of it. I never really had to deal with it before since I was never close enough to anybody to actually hurt them.

There's no room for doubt or hesitation anymore, not with her suffering like this.

"Yuigahama, I..." Before I could continue however, I was interrupted by the sudden contact of her lips on mine. It lasted for a few seconds until Yuigahama finally let me go and sat herself across me.

According to my knowledge gained from light novels and video games and totally not real life, kisses are supposed to induce a comforting and warm feeling while filled with beaming passion. What I just experienced though was nothing like that whatsoever. It just felt...cold andempty.

"I-I'm s-sorry Hikki. I'm sorry for being so selfish. I know it wasn't right for me to do that. I disregarded all your feelings and prioritized my own. I'm sorry." She apologized as tears were streaming down her face.

Even up to now in this tension, she's still frantically apologizing to me. He, Yuigahama's still the same nice girl I've known for so long.

"What are you talking about you idiot? I should be the one saying all those lines. I've always known deep inside that you liked me yet I did nothing about it at all due to my own fear and insecurity. To make it even worse, I fell for another girl and ended up hurting you because of my indecisiveness. I guess if you're an idiot, I'm a coward."

Yuigahama just sat there speechless at what I was saying with confusion written all over her face.

"Don't even get me started on selfishness. I'm levels above you in that regard. I constantly wish for every little thing to go my way in search of that genuine thing. I even came here with high hopes that I could easily resolve this whole issue with you. I know it's not that simple with all the pain you've felt because of me. To top it all off, I even have the gall to request something from you. I'm pretty damn selfish aren't I?"

"A r-request?"

"Yeah, but before that I have something to say to you."

Just forget about all the worries and say it.

There's too much on the line to back out right now.

Just go out and say it already!

"I-I l-like M-Miura...I think."

...

Nothing.

She's not saying anything at all. There's only silence in this room right now. Despite that, I can definitely feel the increase in tension to the point it's almost palpable.

"N-Now onto the r-request." I immediately say in order to ease the current situation. Luckily enough, Yuigahama still seems to be paying attention me.

"Basically, I want our relationship to stay alive. I don't want to abandon it nor let it rot in the stagnating status quo. It's not just with you, with Yukinoshita, with Isshiki, even Miura. I want us to experience all those happy times as well as hardships together without turning away from each other and reality. No deceit, no pretending, no pointless enduring, just a living relationship, a genuine relationship."

This is my true desire, the desire I took so long just to figure out. In order to achieve this, I need to properly convey my feelings no matter how difficult it may be. I just hope that she understands.

Before I even realized, Yuigahama starts laughing despite still having teary eyes all over her face.

"What the heck Hikki. First you break a girl's heart then you tell her that you still wanna be together? That's just cruel y'know?"

"What can I say? I'm pretty damn selfish. I want everything to go my way."

Yuigahama then got up and proceeded to embrace me. Contrary to that kiss awhile ago, I felt warmth and comfort from her this time along with a sense of satisfaction.

"So what's your answer?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

"Well, you never actually game me your answer. You just randomly hugged me." Her slighty wet eyes twitched in annoyance the moment I said that.

"That's so like you Hikki...Fine, I'll accept your request." She replied with a relieved smile on her face. Once I saw it, I couldn't help but do the same really.

And with that, mission accomplished along with a heavy burden off my shoulders.

* * *

"Are you sure this isn't going to kill me? This is you we're talking about after all..."

"I keep telling you Hikki! These are leftovers from yesterday's dinner that Mama cooked!"

"Can you blame a man for wanting to keep his life safe?"

"Sheesh. You're unbearable as always Hikki."

After that eventful scene, our stomachs took over forcing us to have dinner. Even though I've stayed long enough, Yuigahama insisted that I have dinner here. She even called Komachi to tell her about it, so I wouldn't refuse. That's just play dirty damn it.

Now here I am eating dinner on the same table as the girl I just recently rejected. Well, awkward doesn't even begin to describe this now. Neither of us are even uttering a single word now that the two of us are finally seated. I might as well start eating. I really hope this meal won't knock me out.

...

Congratulations! I've survived! Not today death by food poisoning!

It's even delicious to boot. Looks like she was telling the truth when she said it was her mother who cooked this. After all, never in a million years could Yuigahama cook something like this.

"What made you fall for Yumiko anyway?" Yuigahama suddenly asked me which made me slightly choke on my food.

"Are you ok Hikki!?" A panicked Yuigahama worried as she was frantically moving around the dinner table. After carefully swallowing the contents in my throat, I was finally able to speak again.

"Y-Yeah..." Yuigahama made a sigh of relief at my response and returned to to her seat.

Seriously though, are you trying to kill me by suddenly bringing out a question like that? I haven't even told Miura herself anything like that, how could I possibly say it to you?

Although now that I think about it, it's only fair that she hears the words from my own mouth no matter how awkward they may be. She deserves this closure. Besides, I'm sick of acting like a naive protagonist.

"I guess it's the fact she's so motherly despite her usual attitude. Even Komachi doesn't worry about me the same extent she does. It's also kinda cute seeing her act out of character especially when I least expect it..." I clumsily admit while I feel my face uncontrollably blushing. What the hell are you making me say woman!? Dammit, this is more embarrassing than I thought it would it be.

"That's so adorable Hikki! You're actually feeling like a real person now!" Are you implying I wasn't before? That's basically saying I'm below the standard of humanity. I sometimes wonder if she's aware of how painful her words can be when said so innocently. Also, wipe that damn grin off your face!

After having her fill of laughter, Yuigahama's smile went away and was replaced with a slightly tense expression.

"What're gonna do about Yukinon and Iroha-chan though Hikki? I'm pretty sure you know but..."

"I'll probably tell them once we come back to school. I had to put priority over you 'cause of your recent behavior. I doubt it's going to be easy though."

"I see..."

With the happy atmosphere suddenly gone, we were only left with uncomfortable silence.

"Sorry for putting you in this awkward situation. To be talking about all this must be tough on you..." I apologized in the best way I could. Well, scratching your head while looking away might not be the best method however. I was never really good at this kind of thing after all. Even so, this is something I have to do for all the things I've put Yuigahama through.

"No need to look so down Hikki. I've already accepted it. Sure it's not the best feeling in the world, but I can manage. Besides, we still have our genuine relationship to look out for right?" Yuigahama reassured me with her usual bright smile making me feel a bit more relaxed.

"You're right. Thanks Yuigahama."

"No problem Hikki!"

Dinner then went on with Yuigahama continuing to interrogate me about my thoughts of Miura. Once it was getting late, Yuigahama finally released me from her grasp and allowed me to return home.

Right after we exchanged our goodbyes, I found myself walking alone on the cold winter night albeit with no snow. Not even the beauty of the stars nor the vibrant Chiba city lights were present to comfort me. Just some dim streetlights and car after facing an ordeal like that, I would expect to have a better scenery. Just goes to show the world is indifferent to what you do.

"Achoo!"

I want to go home.

* * *

After my treacherous journey through the sheer cold, I've finally arrived home. With my tired self this late at night, I can't wait to receive a warm welcome from my beloved sister.

The moment I entered through the door, instead of being greeted a warm welcome, I was bombarded with questions.

"What happened with Yui-san? Does Yukino-san know about it? Did you do anything to her? Did she do anything to you? How badly did you mess up? Come on onii-chan, tell Komachi everything!"

So much for that hope I previously had...All I got were the questions of an overly curious brat. Not even a single word of concern of welcome, not that it's surprising honestly.

"I'll tell you some other time. I'm gonna go straight to sleep." I'm way too exhausted to deal with something like this. Komachi responded with a pout and a few murmurs of annoyance but let me off the hook nonetheless.

As I was going up the stairs, I could hear a couple of muffled words coming from Komachi.

"At least he looks happier now."

Thanks for concern little sister.

* * *

It may have been presumptuous of me to think that my mission is truly over. How could I forget that there are still two large hurdles in my way, mainly a raven-haired ice queen and a sly foxy kouhai of a student council president.

Confronting the two of them shouldn't as difficult as it was with Yuigahama. Doesn't change the fact that it's no easy task to do. I'm basically going to say 'I've been aware for your feelings of romance of me, but I constantly chose to ignore it. Also, I'm in love with another girl, so I can't return your feelings' straight to their faces. It doesn't help either that I'm lacking sleep due to yesterday's events.

I can feel myself shivering in anxiety as I make my way towards school. Honestly, there's this feeling inside of me that just wants to skip school for today. Sadly, only a punishment comparable to hell from a certain pitiful teacher will await me if I do that.

"Huh? Is that you Hikio?" I heard a voice from behind me say. I turn back to see the a beautiful blond woman whom I've dubbed the Fire Queen of Sobu. Oh yeah, apparently she's in love with me too.

"Yo." I lethargically greet with a yawn. Next thing I know, Miura appears to my side with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Is that really the best greeting you got? Not even a good morning?" She complained to me in a sour tone. It's just a greeting anyway, no need to make such a fuss over it.

"Well, it is the easiest one to say." I say in an attempt to defend myself. Unfortunately for me, that answer didn't seem to satisfy her given her sigh.

"So this is what I have to get used to huh? I think I can live with that." I heard Miura say to herself in a soft voice. I'm not sure if my ears or brain are functioning correctly but is she implying what I think she's implying?

"Sorry, what did you say?" I ask just to make sure I heard correctly. Instead of giving me a proper response, Miura got all flustered once she realized she said that out loud. Cute.

"N-Nothing r-really! Even if I did, it doesn't matter to you." A tsundere reaction huh.

"A-Anyways, how did it go with Yui yesterday? Is she feeling better?" Miura asked me with evident worry all over her face. Leave it to her motherly instinct to show concern for her friends to this extent.

"She's all fine now. You shouldn't have a problem talking to her." I reassured her which prompts her to breathe a sigh of relief. For some reason, I couldn't help but smile after seeing her reaction.

"Uh Hikio, why are you grinning like that? It's seriously creepy." Miura said to me in slight disdain despite all I did for her. Well technically it was all my fault to begin with but some words of gratitude would be pretty nice right now.

"Anyway, what are you doing here Miura? I've always taken this route to school and not even once have I seen you pass by here." Given how skillfully observant I am, I'm pretty sure I would've been able to notice Miura if she ever regularly took this path. Sure I wouldn't bother to approach her but at the very least, I would've noticed her.

"I just felt like taking a different way today. Any problem with that?" She aggressively replies to my simple question. If this exchange happened months ago, I would've felt both fear and contempt. Right now though, it's feels no different from a normal conversation.

"Not really." I nonchalantly say as she nods in agreement. Strange, I wonder when I started getting accustomed to this kind of behavior from Miura. Now that I think about it, the whole situation of talking to Miura so casually like this on the way to school in itself feels surreal.

With nothing left to say, the both of us just stayed silent. Given that I only started talking to Miura recently, it's inevitable that things got awkward real quick.

It does seem that Miura wants to change that however. She would've brought out her phone by now if she didn't feel like talking to me. As we were walking together, I noticed that she's been giving me side glances every now and then. When she's not doing that, it seems like she's in deep thought presumably looking for a conversation topic.

Honestly seeing Miura act like this, act so...innocent is somewhat refreshing.

Given her stature in the social hierarchy, it should be natural for her to lead, either in conversation or action. I may have witnessed her vulnerable side before, but this is completely different. This Miura however is struggling to find the right timing as well as the correct words to say, as if she's some naive heroine in a shoujo manga trying to talk to her crush.

Is this what that overused and cliche saying meant with it's 'love can change people' crap?

Even though I would prefer for Miura to continue with this act, a part of me feels bad for her. I might as well say something to ease her troubles. Man, when did Miura and I get this absurdly soft and fluffy in such a small amount of time. I could never imagine this kind of situation under any kind of normal circumstances. Leave it to life to give you the most ridiculous ones.

"A-Aren't finals coming up soon?" I clumsily say as a feeble attempt to start a conversation. I'm no genius at social discourse and such, but I'm pretty sure that was a pathetic topic to start with. No one, absolutely no one, gets excited for tests. The best they can do is make people whine and complain about their existence.

"Is that really all you got?" Miura said in a disappointed tone. I'm sorry for not being able to actually start a conversation properly since I usually just get dragged into them by other people.

"Can't really blame you though. I can't think of anything else to talk about either." She giggled in a wry smile. At the very least, she's aware of her own behavior.

Suddenly a random thought in my mind came up, and I accidentally ended up blurting it out loud.

"Whatever happened to your glasses?" Miura was a bit taken back by the sudden question but answered regardless.

"Didn't I tell you before? I wear contact lenses to school. The glasses look really isn't for me after all." I suppose glasses over time have somehow evolved into a kind of accessory for the youth and comes with an associated image.

"Aren't glasses more convenient in general though?" It's kind of foolish to sacrifice something's utility due to something as petty as appearance. Besides, it's not even that big of a deal when it comes to one's overall regular appearance. Not like we're talking about eye patches and glasses props.

"Yeah they are, but it's no big deal since I already got used to wearing contacts even though they're a pain to deal with." If that how Miura wants it, I guess I'm in no position to argue. Still a shame though. I really think she looks better while wearing them especially since they highlight her beautiful emerald eyes.

Damn, that was a pretty creepy thing to think...

"Do you have some kind of glasses fetish Hikio?" Miura asked in a slightly less disgusted tone than usual. As much as I can recall, I have no particular fondness for glasses when it comes to either reality or fantasy.

"Not really. I just think they would look good on you." Suddenly, Miura started to blush. It was then I realized what exactly I just said prompting me to blush myself.

"I-I'll think about it." An embarrassed Miura murmured into her scarf. I didn't want to push this topic any farther, so I just nodded in response.

Unbeknownst to the two of us, we heard the loud song of the school's warning bell. We're already at school eh? The travel time felt shorter than usual.

"Well I'll go ahead then. See you later I guess Hikio." Miura told me as she started hurrying towards the school building. Guess it hasn't come to the point where we can be together in public huh.

Well thanks to Miura's company, I feel energized now. Maybe this could be enough for later. After all, I've got a lot to do today.

* * *

After hours of lectures and classes, it's finally lunch time.

Right before I left the classroom, I took a short peek at usual clique to see Yuigahama and Miura acting normally around each other again. It's a good thing that everything's now patched up between them.

Now...

Ideally, I should be spending this time looking for either Yukinonshita or Isshiki which frankly shouldn't be that hard. There aren't that many places they go to. Problem is, my inner desire to procrastinate took over and here I am making my way to the vending machine.

It's best that I don't delay this any further, but it's still nerve wracking nonetheless. Only is there MAXX Coffee to act as my only solace.

"Senpaiii~" An all too familiar cutesy voice says in the distance. I shudder as the source of that voice comes closer and closer. I can't decide right now if this situation is a blessing or a curse at this point.

"What do you want this time Isshiki?" I unwillingly ask knowing full well what kind of wait awaits me. Given my past experience, I'm pretty sure I know what she wants from me.

"Well, a delivery just arrived and I need to bring it to the student council room. It's pretty heavy sooo..." More manual labor huh. Why is it that it seems the other council members are never free when stuff like this happens. Sure I need to make up for making you president and all, but it never meant being your personal slave.

"What am I to you? A pack mule?"

"Yeah pretty much. No one else is willing to do it and you're always free during lunch, so I assumed you were perfect for the job!" It still baffles me to this day how she can say such cold and ruthless words in a bubbly tone like that.

"Fine, I'll do it." I reluctantly agree to her demand. Well, it's convenient for me since I needed to talk to her anyway. Though I have a feeling I would've done this regardless of the current circumstances. Damn, am I that soft?

"Thanks senpai! I knew I could count on you!" Isshiki then proceeded to literally drag me to the school gates after she thanked me.

Let's just get this over with...

* * *

After half an hour of excruciating hard work, we finally managed to bring everything to the student council room. I say we, but it was mostly me since the ratio of items carried was 1:3 between Isshiki and I.

"Man that was a lot of stuff. Thanks again senpai." Isshiki said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Why are you sweating? It's winter and you barely did a thing!

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, what're these for?" I asked as I look towards the boxes I just previously carried. Judging by their weight, they seem to contain more of stationary than anything else I can think of.

"The entrance exam is coming up and the school decided to restock on supplies early. I still don't know why they made me do it though. It's such a pain! Why couldn't a teacher or something do it?" There goes her usual complaint about student council work. Despite that as well as her usual attitude, I can tell that she takes this job early.

With the work done, the two of us sat down and proceeded to rest. Right now would've been the best time to eat lunch. Unfortunately for me, I never really had the time to buy any food. I can feel my stomach rumbling in hunger as Isshiki brings out a bento.

"Senpai, I would appreciate it if you would stop staring at my food. It's seriously creepy." Isshiki said in disgust as she distanced herself even more from me.

"Who's fault do you think it is that I couldn't buy lunch?" I reply in a bitter tone. In response, Isshiki reached out to the paper bag on the floor and brought out its contents.

"Fine then. You can have this as my token of thanks." A can of MAXX Coffee and some curry bread was then handed over to me prompting me to rejoice. Finally after all that hard work, I can be rewarded.

"I still don't get what you like that drink though. It's way to sweet even for me."

"You just don't understand the true beauty of its taste."

"Whatever you say senpai..."

After taking a couple of sips, I could feel all that lost energy coming back to me. This drink really is heavenly.

As I was eating, I looked up to the clock to see I still have a couple of minutes before lunch ends. Preferably I would like not to be constrained by a time limit, but I don't think I'll get another opportunity like this.

It's okay, it's okay. I can do this. Probably...

"Um...Isshiki, t-there's something I want to talk about." Despite using up all my courage, I still ended up stuttering. Man, my thresholds for courage really isn't that much is it?

"That's rare coming from you senpai. What's up?" She asked with a curious expression on her face as she was drinking her own ice tea. I can feel my body shaking as I try to utter the correct words.

"It's about...Miura..." I managed to say despite my anxiousness. I could almost see question marks appear above Isshiki's head given the confusion on her face.

Before I could continue, Isshiki cut me to the chase.

"Oh, are you talking about that time you went out on a date with Miura-senpai?"

"Huh? How do you know about that?"

"Geez senpai, I can recognize you from a mile away. I saw the two of you together while I was out shopping. Yui-senpai also mentioned it to me awhile ago."

"Oh..."

It seems that Yuigahama wasn't the only one who saw us that day. Are the two of us really that easy to spot in a crowd or is this all some big coincidence.

Wait a minute...

"That rumor about Miura going on a date..."

"Yeah, it was me who started it."

"Why would you-" Before I could finish, Isshiki put her finger to my lip to silence me.

"Miura-senpai wasn't the only one who was happy. I've never seen anyone make you that happy before y'know? It even made me a bit jealous honestly. But how could I go against such a happy couple?"

"What about your feelings?"

"Are you implying that I have romantic feelings for you senpai? That's basically an indirect confession. Sure I think you're a fun senpai to tease and be around with but if you think that's enough for me to fall in love with you, I'm sorry but that's not gonna happen. After all, I'm in love with Hayama-senpai. Right?" She said with a sad smile on her face. Even if she's not crying, I can tell how hard it was for her to say that. I'm painfully aware of how she truly feels for me, and she understands that as well. Despite that, she still managed to say those words.

After all the time I've spent with her, this is definitely Isshiki Iroha's way of staying strong.

"I..." I struggle to find the right words. Even if I could, I doubt I would be able to say them after hearing that.

"You don't have to worry about me senpai. You can go chase for that genuine thing you want so much even if it's not me by your side. Just don't forget, you still have to take responsibility okay? Just let me be a bit selfish for now." She then stood up from her seat and hugged me from behind with no hesitation. I could feel her warmth rubbing off onto me making me feel comfortable.

"What're you talking about, you're always selfish."

"Hehehehehe."

After a couple of moments staying like this, the bell rang signalling the end of lunch.

"Guess it's time to leave huh?" Isshiki then let go of me and started getting ready to head back to classes. This prompted me to do the same by quickly finishing my lunch. Just as we were about to leave the room and take our separate ways, Isshiki told me one last thing.

"Besides, if you end up with Miura-senpai, that's less competition for me!"

What a sly fox of a kouhai I have.

* * *

Now that afternoon classes have ended, school's finally over for the day meaning it's time for club.

Miraculously, everything's been going well so far. I really didn't expect it to end that well with Isshiki awhile ago.

All that's left is to talk to Yukinoshita. This time though, I intend to take the initiative. After all, instead of listening to the lectures, I was figuring out the right words to say. This is the Ice Queen after all. A couple of wrongly chosen words would immediately lead to a punishment by her ruthless hands. I would know, I've been there countless of times before.

As I was readying myself to leave the classroom and make my way towards the club room, Yuigahama approached me.

"You don't have to wait for me today Hikki. I got permission from Yukinon awhile ago to skip out club."

"You want to spend more time with Miura?"

"Yeah. I really wanna make up for that time we ignored each other."

"I see. I hope you two have a enjoyable time then."

"Yup! Also, goodluck to you Hikki. You have something you wanna say Yukinon right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll see you tomorrow then Hikki. Bye bye!"

"See ya."

After that exchange, Yuigahama scurried off to her clique while I headed towards the club room, the place where a great trial awaits me.

With no hesitation whatsoever, I open the sliding door to see that she's sitting in her usual seat like always while drinking the same old tea."

"Hello, Hikigaya-kun."

"Yo."

With the greetings over, I quickly made my way to my seat and began steeling myself for what is to come.

Just don't panic like awhile ago and say your piece.

"Hey Yukinoshita, there's something I want to talk about..."

"If you're talking about your relationship with Miura-san, I'm fully aware."

"It's about Miura...Wait, what? How do you know about it?"

"I received a little heads up from Yuigahama-san earlier this lunch. I also made use of the prior observations I made to arrive to that conclusion."

What a frightening woman indeed. How'd she even deduce all that anyway?

"What gave it all away?"

"That time when Isshiki-san was talking about that rumor concerning Miura-san. You would've normally just been indifferent to it, but you were acting tense the whole time Isshiki-san was talking about it. You had the face of someone guilty of perpetrating a crime. A fitting image indeed for the likes of you Hikigaya-kun."

"Well aren't you paying too much attention to my handsome face."

"Don't assume I would do something as disgusting as that. Your horrid face was simply in my line of view at that time."

"Anyway, that makes things easier for me."

Don't mince words and just say it straight out. If I can't do something as simple as this, I can't possibly find that genuine thing.

"I like Miura, so I can't return your feelings."

"Are you assuming that I harbor romantic feelings for you Hikigaya-kun? How pretentious of you."

"Am I wrong though?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're not. I have to say though, it's frustrating that I lost. For my love to end like this..."

"Sorry, but I just had to tell you."

"No need to apologize. That's just the nature of things. It does leave a bitter taste in my mouth though."

With my piece finished, there was nothing left to say between us. Nevertheless, the tension was still apparent. I even had the though of leaving the room just to ease the atmosphere. Doing that and abandoning her just for an easy way out doesn't feel right with me.

"This doesn't mean that I can't still be with you. I know you've rejected me before, but I might as well say it now. How about we become friends Yukinoshita?"

"That doesn't seem so bad..." Yukinoshita shyly said as a tinge of red could be seen on her face. With that small smile on her face, I can't help but feel satisfied with this outcome.

"I have one condition however Hikigaya-kun."

"Hmm?"

"C-Can I h-hold your arm? I always see Isshiki-san and Yuigahama-san do it with you so..." An embarrassed Yukino requested as the blush on her face got brighter.

"I don't see why not." After hearing my reply, Yukinoshita stood up and brought her chair right next to mine. She then wrapped both of her arms against my right. As she was doing all that, I could feel my face heating up a bit due to this close contact.

"This feels nice..." A relaxed Yukinoshita purred almost as if she were a cat. Actually, it almost looked like I can see cat ears on her head. I couldn't help but feel her warmth as well, something you don't expect from her usual demeanor.

So this is a happy ending huh? With a life full of difficulties and misfortunes, it's refreshing to experience it. Better yet, I don't have to go through it alone like I used to.

* * *

Despite the cold winter night, I feel warm from this sense of fulfillment from the recent events.

I managed to keep my relationship with Yuigahama, Yukinoshita and Isshiki alive and healthy despite the trouble circumstance. The whole fact that it went smoothly without any repercussions is amazing to say the least. Given the fact I basically rejected three high school girls without them having any animosity for me whatsoever is unbelievable in itself. That doesn't even include how it feels that my relationships with them got even better than they were before.

Man I'm either lucky or the RomCom gods actually helped me out for once.

Either way, since I remember Komachi mentioning that she'll be coming home late, I was told to eat dinner outside.

Now here I am walking around aimlessly on this chilly night looking for a place to eat. All the fast food restaurants are either full or any other available option is way over my budget.

"What a pain..."

After minutes of walking around unconsciously, I find myself standing in front of a familiar cafe. Given my circumstances right now as well as my growling stomach, I might as well settle in this place.

As I make my way inside, a familiar face entered my line of sight, the face of the one I like to be exact.

"Hikio?"

"Miura?"

After unexpectedly bumping into each other here, I somehow ended up sitting right across Miura as the dinner I paid for was being cooked by the kind old lady behind the counter.

At first, neither of us uttered a word. From an outsider's perspective, they might think there's some awkward tension between the two us. In reality though, the both of us are just too embarrassed to say anything.

Neither of us expected to see each other, so we couldn't prepare ourselves for this. Now I understand what it meant when those light novels kept on describing the heartbeats of its characters. I can feel mine getting faster just by being around Miura. It also seems that the same applies to Miura since she's twirling around her hair, a sign when she's nervous or anxious. Wait, why do I know that?

"How'd things go with Iroha and Yukinoshita?" Miura asked effectively breaking the silence between the two of us. Wait a minute, why do you know about it?"

"Did Yuigahama tell you?"

"Yeah."

Damn that airhead. Ever since what happened yesterday, it seems like she's been blabbing about unnecessary things to other people. No wonder Isshiki and Yukinoshita knew so much...

"It went pretty well actually. They don't hate me or anything."

"I see..."

Silence enters once again. This atmosphere isn't tense or anything so why is it like this? In fact, it's more of relaxing given the kind of establishment we're in as well as Miura's presence. Miura's presence? I find that relaxing? Man, I really did fall for this woman didn't I?

Having completely forgotten about my hunger, my stomach made a small growl reminding me I haven't eaten yet. Luckily for me, at the moment my food arrived as well as Miura's.

For the next half hour, I spent the time savoring my delicious meal while staying in silence with Miura. We would just give each other the occasional glance then return to eating.

"Hey Hikio, since you did all that stuff awhile ago, I'm guessing you already have an answer?" Miura suddenly asked me just as I thought of going home. Now that I think about, I basically told everyone but Miura herself that I liked her. No point in hesitating now after all I've been through.

"Yeah, I do."

"So? What is it."

"I like you."

"I see. Good. So we're now boyfriend and girlfriend right?"

"I guess. As you know, I'm not well versed in these kinds of matters."

"I know that all too well. Don't worry, I'll guide you through it."

"Then please take care of me."

"Same goes to you Hikio."

So after how many years, I finally got a girlfriend huh. It's not a bad feeling.

"I have to say Hikio. You made me go through a lot of things. I even felt like a stalker once because of the confusion you made me go through." Miura scolded me with her usual haughty tone.

"Sorry about that. But the same goes for me too. I would've never imagined myself in any of those situations if it weren't for you." I went through a lot of things that would've been impossible for a loner you know?

"Are you complaining Hikio?" Miura threateningly said while wearing a slightly angry expression.

"No..." Scary... I have to remember not to piss her off anytime soon.

"Good!" A happy Miura exclaimed with all traces of her anger gone. That was a quick 180.

"Anyway, we should go home now. It's getting pretty late." I told her as I stood up. After all, if I stay out too late, who knows how much Komachi will interrogate me.

"One last thing though Hikio."

"Hmm?"

I then felt a warm pair of lips make contact with my cheek, forcing me to blush uncontrollably. Sure, I've been through a lot of physical intimacy recently, but you can't blame me for reacting like this when it's from my lover. Lover huh, I like the sound of that.

"There's more where that came from if you're a good boyfriend." A smiling Miura told me prompting me to do the same. Man, I got one hell of a future awaiting me with a girlfriend like this. I'm not complaining though.

If being with Miura will lead me to that genuine thing, all's well that ends well I suppose.

* * *

 **A/N: I FINALLY FINISHED IT**

 **Again, sorry for such the long wait on this. Even though I was on vacation since March, let's just say unwillingness and laziness got ahead of me.**

 **With this story over, expect a HachiYumi epilogue set in university. I also plan to make a couple of Fox epilogue as well as one big Iroha-centered prom one shot. With school coming back up though, who the hell knows when that will be.**

 **For those who want to see either the Yui short story one or the edgy Yui story get updated, all I can tell is that it's gonna take a while. A looooooong while. Maybe I'll prioritize it when I feel like it or when people sway me too.**

 **Also don't worry, I won't complain anymore. I learned my lesson thanks to most of you. So once again, thanks for the support.**


End file.
